Construction work began in 1993 and was completed in 1996. The venue was inaugurated with a recital by operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti. The venue considered a futuristic construction, known to most as "the Spaceship" (l'Astronave), or as "the Ladybug" (la Coccinella) due to its external shell shape. It covers an area of 12,000 square meters and a land area of 13,000 square meters.
The multi-purpose arena is equipped with a press stand, a room for video data, a system for satellite reception, various video stations and an internal circuit control system. The venue also configures into a (much smaller) theater that is used each August for the world-renowned Rossini Opera Festival.