The Arena: the symbol of Verona

The Arena is the most famous monument of Verona in the world and is located in the central Piazza Bra, but not everyone knows that when it was built by the Romans it was located outside the city walls. Over the centuries the Arena has been restored several times and used for different purposes. In Roman times, for example, it was used for fighting shows between gladiators, in the Middle Ages and up to the middle of the 18th century there were jousting and tournaments, while from 1913 to the present day it was used as an open-air opera theater. This splendid monument was built in the 1st century AD with the use of well-squared marble blocks. The current perimeter of the stalls is 391 meters and including the wing it reaches 435 meters. The amphitheater consists of three concentric walls but of the first external only the part called the wing remains, while the steps are all made of Veronese marble. Under the stalls there are numerous galleries that since Roman times were used for its operation.