Estádio Palestra Itália, located in São Paulo

São Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, was the home football

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 stadium of Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras

Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras

Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras is a Brazilian football club from São Paulo. The club was founded on August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942...

 from 1917 to 2010. It is also known as Estádio Parque Antarctica after Companhia Antarctica de Bebidas, a beverages company from which Palmeiras

Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras

Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras is a Brazilian football club from São Paulo. The club was founded on August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942...

 acquired the property in 1920. In the past its capacity was listed as 35,000 spectators. However, even though its grandstands have been extended in the late 1990s, currently it seats 27,650 people due to regulations enforcing improved safety and comfort.

It is one of the most important Brazilian stadiums, considering the amount of decisive and important matches played there, most of them with the presence of Palmeiras. Examples of matches played in Palestra Itália include 1999 Copa Libertadores

Copa Libertadores de América

The Copa Santander Libertadores de América , known simply as the Copa Libertadores and originally known as the Copa Campeones de América , is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960...

 final, the Copa Mercosur

Copa Mercosur

The Copa Mercosur was a football competition played from 1998 to 2001 by the traditional top clubs from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile. The competition was created by CONMEBOL to generate TV money to the participating teams, but it went beyond and ended up as a natural replacement...

 finals of 1998, 1999 and 2000, 1996 Copa do Brasil

Copa do Brasil

The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...

 final and several Campeonato Paulista

Campeonato Paulista

The Campeonato Paulista de Futebol Profissional da Primeira Divisão - Série A1, simply known as the Campeonato Paulista, is the top-flight professional football league in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The league is contested between 20 clubs and typically lasts from January to April...

 finals.

One of the 2000 Copa João Havelange

Copa João Havelange

Copa João Havelange was the 30th season of the Campeonato Brasileiro, the top-level of professional football in Brazil. Due to legal complications, the championship was organized by Clube dos 13 instead of CBF, and was contested by 116 teams divided in modules, equivalent to their division -...

 (Copa João Havelange was the Campeonato Brasileiro edition of that year) final matches, between São Caetano

Associação Desportiva São Caetano

Associação Desportiva São Caetano, commonly known as São Caetano, is a Brazilian football team based in the city of São Caetano, Brazil, part of the São Paulo greater metropolitan area. The team is dubbed Azulão , after the shirt colour. The sponsor is Consul, a well known Brazilian producer of...

 and Vasco da Gama

Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama

Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama |Rowing Club]]), usually known as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, is a famous and traditional Brazilian multisports club from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, founded on August 21, 1898...

 was played at Palestra Itália. In 2004, Copa do Brasil

Copa do Brasil

The Copa Kia do Brasil, commonly known as Copa do Brasil , is a knockout competition played by 64 association football teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District...

 final matches, between Santo André

Esporte Clube Santo André

Esporte Clube Santo André, also known as Santo André, is a Brazilian football team from Santo André, São Paulo state.Santo André greatest rival is São Caetano, the other team in ABC region. The club's mascot name is Ramalhão after the bandeirante João Ramalho...

 and Flamengo

Clube de Regatas do Flamengo

Clube de Regatas do Flamengo , also known as Flamengo and familiarly as Mengão, is a Brazilian sports club based in the Flamengo bairro, Zona Sul, Rio de Janeiro, best known for its professional football team...

 was played there too.

Besides football matches, the Estádio Palestra Itália, because of its central location in São Paulo, often hosts important Brazilian and international (eg., Human Rights Now!, Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...

, Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...

, Metallica

Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

, Aerosmith

Aerosmith

Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...

, David Bowie

David Bowie

David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...

, Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...

, etc.) musical events.

In 22 May 2010, Palmeiras played against Grêmio

Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense

Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, commonly known as just Grêmio , is a Brazilian professional association football team based in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul founded by English and German immigrants on September 15, 1903. Major titles captured by Grêmio include one Intercontinental Cup, two Copa...

 for the Série A

2010 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A

The 2010 Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A was the 40th season of the Série A, the top-level of professional football in Brazil. It began on May 8 and ended on December 5. Flamengo came as the defending champion having won the 2009 season.-Format:...

 on Palestra Itália, it was the last official match played by Palmeiras in the Stadium due to the beginning of the new Stadium's construction, the Arena Palestra Itália

Arena Palestra Itália

Arena Palestra Itália, located in São Paulo, Brazil, will be the home football stadium of Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras. It was also known as Parque Antárctica after Companhia Antarctica de Bebidas, a beverages company from which Palmeiras acquired the property in 1920...

. The last match played by Palmeiras on Palestra Italia was a friendly against Boca Juniors

Boca Juniors

Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....

 on July 9, 2010.

Palmeiras' new stadium, the Arena Palestra Itália

Arena Palestra Itália

Arena Palestra Itália, located in São Paulo, Brazil, will be the home football stadium of Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras. It was also known as Parque Antárctica after Companhia Antarctica de Bebidas, a beverages company from which Palmeiras acquired the property in 1920...

, is due to be inaugurated in April 2013.