ARENA DI VERONA
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The best preserved Roman amphitheater in Italy and the third largest after the Colosseum in Rome and the amphitheater of Capua.
This Roman amphitheater is the best preserved in Italy and the third largest after the Colosseum in Rome and the amphitheater of Capua near Naples. Covered with pink marble, brick and flint, it takes its name from the Latin word "arena", which meant the sand with which the ground was covered in the past. It was built in the first century AD to host gladiatorial combat shows and wild animal hunts. At that time it was located outside the city walls. Inside, 45 rows of bleachers could accommodate about 30,000 spectators. Its stones were used for a long time as building material, which caused successive dismantling. In 1117, an earthquake definitively destroyed the outer enclosure, of which one can however observe vestiges on the northern face of the monument. Underneath the theater, traces of a very technical water system have been found. This system was used to introduce water during the water games. Nowadays, every summer, the Arena serves as an unusual setting for an opera festival. This event has been going on since August 10, 1913, when for the first time an enthusiastic crowd attended a spectacular performance ofAida (with elephants on stage) in honor of the centenary of Verdi's birth. Once inside, climb to the top of the bleachers: on a clear day, the view will stretch from the city to the Italian Alps.
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