The Beautiful Arena of Verona

On the Milano-Venice train line, a two hour trip brings you to a place of Shakespearean romance and theatre. A place that transports you to a time of cobble stones and decadent cafés. This is Verona, Italy.

Elegantly dressed for a fantastic evening, we approach the arena. The sun is just setting over the stones of the theatre and the crowd is beginning to arrive.
As we enter we are offered the choice of a cushion for our chairs, and we are given a small candle in a plastic wrapper with a story. People are shouting out "Programmi! Musica! Booklets! Music cds!" the feeling is being enhanced by the look of the stage and orchestra. A woman dressed in her theatre costume walks on stage with a brass drum and hammer. People clap for her 'performance' to advise the audience the show is about to begin.

Dating back to the summer of 1913, the Arena of Verona has been a long standing tradition for opera goers worldwide. It is the biggest open-air opera-house in the world and it is packed every night for every performance throughout each summer season. Holding a possible 15,000 person audience, with as many as 250 people on stage alone, the experience is overwhelming. The arena was built in the 1st century AD and was then used for gladiatorial fights, jousts, and tournaments. In a 12th century earthquake, most of the original outer wall was destroyed, leaving an unusual looking piece to the left of the arena. The tradition of the candles at the arena began eighty-one years ago, when electricity did not exist. In order to read their programs, the audience brought their own candles creating a tradition that has been renewed by Giuseppe Vincenzi of Vincenzi pastries. In the 1980's, Vincenzi decided to offer candles to the audience on the steps. The illumination begins as soon as the sun has set and the large lights for the audience go out. An automatic round of applause is given every night for the illumination of the candles. It is, beyond a doubt, one of the most magnificent experiences to witness the glow that each little candle makes, creating a ring of light around the arena.

The opera starts with the orchestra and a large group of performers entering the stage from all areas. The costumes are superb and the stage settings are created to perfection. No matter what opera, the feeling is the same: a transport to a long forgotten world. It is impossible to remember the present time when you are in the arena, let alone in Verona.

Home to Romeo and Juliet, Verona is a city of eternal love. The legend of the feud between the Capulets and Montagues that Shakespeare immortalized in his play is believed to be real. Long ago, there were in fact two families living in Verona called the Capellos and the Montecchis. The city, as well as the millions of tourists that come to visit each year, don't seem to mind whether or not the feud is fictional. It doesn't stop tourists from visiting Juliet's balcony even if it may not be Shakespeare's real inspiration. In fact, the Casa di Giulietta, located on Via Capella receives four to five thousand letters addressed to Juliet herself each year.
Answered by the Juliet Club, these letters of love come in every language from all over the world. Why? Because there are still some people in the world that love to dream.People who still love to get lost in the idea of a tragic story of love and loss. Juliet's home has three main attractions: the balcony, the graffiti-filled wall of love notes, and the bronze statue of Juliet Capulet. It is believed that rubbing Juliet's 'heart' will give you good luck in love. If you do go to the site, let yourself get lost in the possibility that this could have been a small home that Shakespeare saw on his travels through the side streets of Verona and the balcony inspired him to write a story about two star-crossed lovers. Juliet's tomb can also be visited on Via del Pontiere, as well as Romeo's house on Via Arche Scaligere.

Strictly off limits to vehicles, Verona is the perfect place to walk along the side streets and get lost in another time. The arena and Juliet's home are just two of the many wonderful things to see in this small historical city. Filled with beautiful churches, towers, bridges, museums, a castle, and gardens, this is an endearing town not to be missed.



For more information of the Verona arena: www.arena.it