Verona Amphitheatre

Verona, Italy

The Verona Arena is a Roman amphitheatre built in 1st century. It is still in use today and is internationally famous for the large-scale opera performances given there. It is one of the best preserved ancient structures of its kind. In ancient times, nearly 30,000 people was the housing capacity of the Arena.

The building itself was built in AD 30 on a site which was then beyond the city walls. The round façade of the building was originally composed of white and pink limestone from Valpolicella, but after a major earthquake in 1117, which almost completely destroyed the structure's outer ring, except for the so-called 'ala', the stone was quarried for re-use in other buildings. Nevertheless it impressed medieval visitors to the city, one of whom considered it to have been a labyrinth, without ingress or egress.

The first interventions to recover the arena's function as a theatre began during the Renaissance. Some operatic performances were later mounted in the building during the 1850s, owing to its outstanding acoustics. In 1913, operatic performances in the arena commenced in earnest due to the zeal and initiative of the Italian opera tenor Giovanni Zenatello and the impresario Ottone Rovato.

In recent times, the arena has also hosted several concerts of international rock and pop bands.

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Details

Founded: c. 30 AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.arena.it

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Joette Jones (2 years ago)
I visited the arena this summer to see Aida. What an amazing experience! The arena itself is beautifully preserved. Depending on your seats, you may or may not have a cushion and/or seat back so keep that in mind - the opera is about 3 hours. Drinks are available for purchase. Attending the show as part of the summer opera was magical. Sitting in an ancient structure watching such great talent means there’s so much to take in. I would suggest to bring a hand fan to help with the heat. Enjoy!
Gonzalo Villegas Curulla (GonzaloSound) (2 years ago)
A MUST from Verona roman history: getting to know its origins, some discussion on its pros and cons in terms of acoustics (it houses daily opera performances over the summer period). I found it interesting from an architectural point of view, it offers a privileged location, and there is a lot to look about, find out and discuss. Unfortunately, the grounds or actual floor of the arena is not visible during the opera season (seats are installed on top of it).
Is King (2 years ago)
I loved everything about Verona, beautiful little city. Great markets, good transport, warm and friendly atmosphere. Juliet's balcony has to be seen!! Lovely walks along the river and up the surrounding hills. Great city centre shopping. Friendly, patient residents.
raine trbl (2 years ago)
For quick access so you don’t have to get a ticket there i would recommend getting the Verona Card (this also allows you access to other historic sites, museums,castles etc. in Verona). Beautiful ? we visited the arena in the morning (best time to visit)! And we were lucky enough to see Carmen opera in the evening!
Travis David Suhr (2 years ago)
I was very surprised and impressed with this Arena and enjoyed the experience more than the Colosseum in Rome. It’s older than the Rome Colosseum, cheaper to get into and you can wander as long as you’d like inside to enjoy the remains of this almost 2000 year old site. Well worth the admission price. The ticket line was long but it’s worth the wait. I would love to come back and see a concert or show inside someday.
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