Stadio Olimpico
The Stadio Olimpico in Rome will be the interim home of Italian rugby during the 2013 RBS 6 Nations, while the Stadio Flaminio gets a long-awaited refurbishment.
Situated two and a half miles north of the Vatican City with the river Tiber running alongside it, the 82,000-capacity Olimpico is one of Italy's most revered sporting arenas.
The stadium was built in 1928 and took centre stage in the 1960 Rome Olympics as the opening and closing ceremonies and athletics events were staged there.
Currently it is home to two football teams: AS Roma and SS Lazio, who share the ground for their home league games in Serie A.
The running track around the pitch means fans will be farther from the action than they were at the intimate Flaminio.
But as the 80,000 spectators who watched Italy play New Zealand at the San Siro in 2009 showed, Italian rugby has an enthusiastic and very vocal following.
Italy will move back to the Flaminio when work has finished on upping its capacity to 42,000, which could take until 2014.
Rome
You can marvel at the grandeur of The Colosseum and The Vatican, and the Eternal City's other seemingly endless array of magnificent monuments, or sample the atmosphere of the Stadio Olimpico for the 2012 RBS 6 Nations as the Stadio Flaminio is refurbished.
Warm spring sunshine is another bonus when you get to Rome, both for sightseeing and for rugby-watching.
Not that other fans must miss out. There's more than enough to do in Rome, too, if you're neutral.
In Rome, it's not smoky and over-crowded pubs that you have to squeeze into out of the cold and the rain... it's more often than not a sun-dappled terrace overlooking a wide and beautiful square.
How To Get There
Air: Leonardo da Vinci-Flumicino airport is 40km from the stadium
Car: From Milan, Florence of Bologna on the Autostrada A1, take the exit that goes into the GRA (Gran Raccordo Anulare) towards Flaminia road. Take Junction 5 signposted Flaminia then follow directions to the Foro Italico
Rail:From Termini Central station, take the Metro Line A towards Battistini and get off at Ottavino-Saint Peter then take bus no.32 to Piazzale della Farnesina, or get off at Flaminio and take tram no.2 to Piazza Mancini
More information http://travel.theoffside.com/italy/travel-to-lazio-stadio-olimpico