Opera - Ai Voice ARENA

The Arena of Verona is one of the most famous Roman amphitheaters still in use today, and it is particularly renowned for its close connection to opera.

This special relationship began in 1913, when the opera impresario Giovanni Zenatello decided to celebrate the centenary of Giuseppe Verdi’s birth with a grand production of Aida. That performance marked the beginning of the Verona Opera Festival, a tradition that continues to this day.

The Arena is considered an ideal venue for opera performances for several reasons. Its architectural design, featuring exceptional acoustics, allows sound to carry naturally and clearly, even to the spectators seated farthest away. Its capacity of around 15,000 people creates a unique atmosphere, blending history, music, and spectacle. The open-air setting adds an extraordinary dimension, especially at night, when the lighting highlights the ancient Roman walls, creating a majestic and evocative backdrop.

The bond between the Arena and Verdi’s Aida is particularly meaningful. With its exotic setting and impressive large-scale scenes, Aida perfectly suits the grandeur of a Roman amphitheater. The combination of Verdi’s powerful music and the timeless beauty of the Arena creates an unforgettable experience that few other venues in the world can match. Over time, Aida has become the signature opera of Verona’s summer festival, drawing thousands of opera lovers from around the globe every year.

Let me leave you with an interesting fact: the Arena of Verona was the site of Maria Callas’s Italian debut in 1947, when she performed in Ponchielli’s La Gioconda. Her performances here — including La Gioconda and Turandot — are remembered as truly legendary. Another icon, Luciano Pavarotti, also graced this stage several times: among his most acclaimed performances were Un ballo in maschera (1972), La bohème, and Il trovatore (1978), each met with tremendous success.