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Opera under the stars
The Arena di Verona, an ancient Roman amphitheater famous for its modern operas in Verona, Italy
This ancient Roman amphitheatre on the south edge of Verona actually bosts some surprisingly good acoustics for what is essentially a giant stone oval open to the sky designed for gladiatorial contests. A mighty sight in its own right—one of the top two or three preserved amphiteaters in Italy, right up there with the Colosseum in Rome—what makes the Arena of Verona truly special is the fact thtat it is still in use, nearly 2,000 years after it was first built.
The Arena still hosts spectacular operas under the stars in warm weather. A performance of Aïda here is a must—though anythgin, really, is good. The season runs from late June through August, and tends towards Italian greatest hits and other heavy-hitters—Tosca, Nabucco, Rigoletto, Carmen, and, of course, Roméo et Juliette (which, in case ninth grade English was too many years ago for you to recall, takes place "in fair Verona where we lay our scene..."). Tickets range from €19 to €198.
Piazza Bra 28
tel. 045-800-5151
www.arena.it
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This material was last updated August 2007. All information was accurate at the time.
Copyright © 1998-2008 by Reid Bramblett. All rights reserved.
