Arena Verona

The Arena of Verona is an antique Roman amphitheater in Verona in Italy. The arena is one of the best-preserved amphitheaters and is still used today. It is known for the opera performances that are held there.

The arena was completed in 30 AD, at a place that used to be outside the city walls. With a size of 138 meters long and 110 meters wide, it is one of the largest amphitheaters in the Roman Empire. Four ring walls carried the stands. The spectators came to their seats via 72 entrances and 64 stairs. The outer wall was built from white and pink limestone from Valpolicella and had three floors of arcades. An earthquake in 1117 almost destroyed the entire top floor and the original outer wall, only a small part of it remains.

After the earthquake, the Arena changed into a quarry where simple building material for new buildings could be found. Only during the Renaissance did it come back into use as a theater.

Thanks to the excellent acoustics, the building is well suited for opera performances, which are held from 1913 onwards. Nowadays opera performances take place every year from June to August, with around 22,000 spectators being present. During the winter months, the opera and ballet performances at L'Accademia Filarmonica.

Source: Wikipedia