The story of this place
Built around AD 30, the Verona Arena is the third-largest Roman amphitheatre to survive and, remarkably, one of the most active. It once held 30,000 spectators for gladiatorial games; a 12th-century earthquake toppled most of its outer ring, but the inner structure endures almost intact. In 1913, to mark the centenary of Verdi's birth, the Arena staged 'Aida'—launching an opera festival that has run every summer since, drawing 15,000 people a night to sit on the same pink-marble steps Romans used. Voices carry without amplification across the ancient bowl. From gladiators to Verdi, few buildings have entertained crowds continuously for two millennia.