Arena di Verona

Arena di Verona Review

Milan's La Scala or Parma's Teatro Regio offer performances more likely to satisfy serious opera fans, but none offers a greater spectacle than the Arena di Verona. Many Italian opera lovers claim their enthusiasm was initiated when they were taken as children to a production at the arena. During its summer season (July-September) audiences of as many as 16,000 sit on the original stone terraces or in modern cushioned stalls. Most of the operas presented are the big, splashy ones, like Aïda or Turandot, which demand huge choruses, lots of color and movement, and, if possible, camels, horses, or elephants. Order tickets by phone or online through the Arena website: if you book a spot on the cheaper terraces, be sure to take or rent a cushion—four hours on a 2,000-year-old stone bench can be an ordeal.