2017 will be marked by many events in Italy, but perhaps the Verona Opera Festival will be one of the most noteworthy. This year marks exactly 104 years, when the famous opera Aida was first staged on the stage of the Arena di Verona. Since then, the annual opera festival in Verona is considered one of the top events of the Italian summer.
Even if you have a very cool attitude towards the opera itself, the Verona Opera Festival still makes sense to visit. And there are several reasons for this.
3 reasons to visit the Arena di Verona
Firstly, for the sake of visiting the Arena itself - a grandiose building, whose history dates back 2000 years. Built by the ancient Romans for their not very humane funArena di Verona is one of the largest such structures in Italy. Capable of simultaneously accommodating up to 14,000 spectators, it is second only to the Colosseum in Rome and the arena in Capua.
Arena di Verona can accommodate up to 14,000 spectators at the same time
Secondly, Opera Festival at the Arena di Verona - This is a real show, the entertainment of which is known throughout Europe not only for opera gourmets. The emphasis that the Veronians make on entertainment has a very good foundation. Very close to Verona is Venice, and a little further - two hundred kilometers - Milan. Having such famous competitors in the struggle for tourist preferences, Veronians have to regularly look for very extraordinary solutions so as not to fade in their shadow.
The entertainment of the Verona Opera Festival is provided in many ways, but the main emphasis is on creating a special atmosphere and grandiose scenery. On the latter, it is generally not customary to save here. Monumental and realistic, they completely immerse in the action of the performance. At one time, the famous director Franco Zefirelli for the production of “Carmen” recreated an entire Spanish city at the Arena, and the “back” of the stage for “Aida” looks quite competitive even compared to productions in Giza against the background of Egyptian pyramids.
Scenery "Aida" on the stage of the Arena di Verona
As for the Atmosphere, there is also a special approach to it. As a rule, most of the productions take place in the dark, and when the lights go out, the audience lights the candles received at the entrance. 14,000 candles in the darkness of the ancient Roman amphitheater, when another drama unfolds on the stage - is this not a memory for a lifetime? Oh yes, I almost forgot, the acoustics in the Arena di Verona are amazing, and therefore, wherever your seats are located, audibility will not suffer.
Finally, a separate word needs to be said about the performers, the selection of which special attention is paid to participate in the Festival. Regularly on the stage of the Arena give concerts of stars of the first magnitude; they are invited from all over the world, and therefore, regardless of the year, in the program of the Festival you can find performances of Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, etc.
The acoustics in the ancient Roman theater are amazing
Verona Opera Festival 2017
In the past (2016), the Opera Festival was especially magnificent, but this year the program of the Festival is also extremely rich. More than 50 open-air performances await the audience, including Aida, Nabucco, Rigoletto, Madame Buttervlyay and others. Special excitement in the program of the Opera Festival in Verona 2017 is expected at the Placido Domingo concert.
The beginning of most performances at 20:45 and 21:00.
Events expected Verona Opera Festival will be visited by about 700 thousand spectators.
The scenery for each performance is monumental and realistic.
Dates of the Opera Festival 2017:
from June 23 to August 27, 2017
Program of the Opera Festival
Complete and regularly updated program of the Opera Festival in Verona events can be seen here.
Tickets
Tickets for the Verona Opera Festival can be ordered online at this link.
The concert of Placido Domingo will be held on July 21, 2017. Beginning at 22:00, and ticket prices start at $ 33. Details about the event are here.
Tickets for the Opera Festival can be ordered online, their cost starts from $ 33
For your convenience, BlogoItaliano has selected hotels in close proximity to Arena di Verona. You can see their complete list at this link. And about other sights of the city, we already wrote in the article What to see in Verona, if time is running out.
An unforgettable experience for you
