Opera in the arena di verona
What does it take to create the perfect summer weekend getaway? The recipe is simple: you take an ancient Roman arena, set up a stage and play the epic music of Verdi’s most famous opera, Aida. Add to the mixture a warm summer evening and a sprinkle of la dolce vita, and voilá: you have an unforgettable evening in one of Italy’s prettiest cities!
If you’re a fan of Shakespeare or if you’ve had English in school, you probably would know the city of Verona as the showplace for one of the world’s most romantic and tragic love stories, Romeo and Juliet. Although tourist gobble up the kitsch of this made-up tale of the unlucky couple and swarm to a courtyard they can view the balcony Juliet supposedly delivered her famous lines from the play, Verona has much more to offer. Verona is a UNESCO world heritage site, no wonder with Roman monuments, medieval houses and renaissance palaces crowding the banks of the Adige. At the centre of it all, is the massive Roman arena that for many opera fans, is the main attraction.
Some facts about the arena di Verona
The arena was built from pink and white limestone in 30 AD and was used to host gladiatoral games and shows. The shows were so famous, that visitors came from far to see them.
Originally, the arena had a capacity of 30 000 spectators. Today, the arena can hold up to 15 000 spectators. Due to space needed for the opera performances and for safety reasons, the number of visitors have been reduced.
The outer ring of the arena was almost completely destroyed in an earthquake in 1117 AD. The rubble from the outer ring was transported way and reused for new buildings but the inner structure was left standing and remained to impress visitors through the ages.
Due to its excellent accoustics, plans to restore the arena to a showplace had been in place since the renaissanse. It wasn’t until the early 1900s though, that restorative work was done to the arena. The first 20th century opera performance took place on the 10th of August 1913, when Aida was performed to commemorate what would have been Verdi’s 100th birthday.
Since 1913, performances in the arena have become an annual fixture in the Verona summer calendar. The only years the operatic spactacles haven’t taken place were 1915-1918 (WW1) and 1940-1945 (WW2).
Every year duringt the summer, 4 - 6 different productions are performed in the arean which attract over 500 000 spectators every season.
Good to know
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased online in the official Arena di Verona onlineshop. Rememer that the performances are extremely popular, so it would be wise to book well in advance. Ticket prices vary greatly depending where you sit. The cinema-like seats in front and centre are the most expensive and cost up to 200€ per ticket. Tickets for the plastic stadium-like seats will cost you around 120€ where as the seats higher up on the unpadded stone steps cost only around 40€.PERFORMANCE TIME
The opera performances usually start around 21:00 and, as is the case with most operas, last around 3 hours. So, once you’ve found your seat, settle in, make yourself comfortable and don’t expect to get out before 01:00 in the morning!DRESS CODE
Although the dress code is relatively informal, flip-flops, shorts and tank tops for men are forbidden as well as too revealing and casual clothes for women. Because the italians are famous for being well-dressed, I would suggest dressing smartly, rather than too casually.SECURITY
Before entering the arena, visitors have to pass a security check. Large backpacks aren’t allowed into the arena and water bottles will be confiscated. As there aren’t any lockers to stow away bags and other luggage, I would suggest leaving them at home or rent a locker at the main station.SNACKS
Unfortunately, you aren’t allowed to bring food and drinks into the arena. Make sure you have a proper dinner before going to the opera, as restaurants will probalby be closed by the time the opera is out. There is a bar in the arena where you will be able to purchase drinks during the show as well as vendors selling snacks and drinks before the opera starts and during the interval.COMORT
If you booked a ticket for the stone seats, I would highly suggest bringing a seat cushion. If you don’t have one, there are plenty of vendors outside the arena where you can purchase one for a small price. Vendors inside the arena also offer seat cushions for sale.
