NEED TO KNOW
LOCATION The city of Verona is in the Veneto region of northern Italy, 160 miles (255 km) from Milan and 120 miles (195 km) from Venice
CAPACITY 25,000
DAYTIME TEMPERATURES Jan: 36°F
(2°C); Apr: 57°F (14°C); Jul: 77°F (25°C); Oct: 59°F (15°C)
Although you don’t have to see a performance to appreciate the harmonious structure of Verona’s amphitheater, a summer night watching the opera here is unforgettable.
For these incomparable events, the building is transformed into a theater, with a wide stage at one end and additional seating arranged across the arena floor, creating an auditorium for 15,000.
Although it looks complete, it was once encased in three-story outer walls, faced in pink and white limestone, which provided the access galleries to the 42 rows of stone seating. The amphitheater’s museum shows how its hydraulic system worked.
Practical Information
Getting There Verona is linked by shuttle bus to its own airport (6 miles/10 km from the city center) and Brescia airport (30 miles/52 km away). It lies on the A4 Milan–Venice autostrada and has direct train services to the main northern Italian cities, including Venice (1.5 hours), Milan (2 hours) and Rome (5 hours). Verona’s historic center is easily explored on foot.
When to Go Between Easter and November. The annual Opera Festival takes place between June and August.