Arena di Vorona festival - Italy

If we think opera, we imagine luxury and elegance. When we say an arena, then we think blood and cruel things. Then, can you imagine combination of opera and arena? It will be a hard question but actually there is a festival which holds in arena. It is opera festival which is held in Verona, Italy. Verona is familiar because it is background of Romeo and Juliet. The starting Verona opera was in 1913 to celebrate 100th of Giuseppe Verdi. And then it became famous. At that time, Some Verdi's opera was played under Tullio Serafin who was a leading Italian opera conductor. Many famous musician watched this performance and after this, it was developed to opera festival to represent of Verona. It lets audience to visit Verona and in just summer time, over five hundred thousand people come to watch opera.

Arena festival is international open field opera. Arena stadium was made in 120~13 in Rome era but it preserves well and it can hold about 20000 people. 1/4 is for stage and 3/4 and floor are for audience. The origin purpose of arena was fighting ground or hunting wild beast. Arena means sand in Latin and it was named because they paved sand on the bottom of stadium. After Rome era, it was used by execution ground or fighting ground of knights. In the end of 16 century, it was used to event ground by men of power and in the end of 18 century, it was used to bull fighting ground or performing ground. Even though it is open field stadium, we can hear little tiny itty bitty sound.

Opera performs 5 operas June to October in every year. Among them, "Aida" is very popular. Usually opera starts at 9:00P.M and does performance around 4 hours. And it is famous for letting watcher to hold candle before opera start. In break time, they sell snack and cushion but it is too expensive. Therefore it will be good to buy that kink of stuffs before noon. It is doing at open field so it has advantage that you have good sight and wind but if is rain performance will be canceled. After opera, it will be 1:00 A.M so there is no train. So you should stay one day. Although sleeping is a problem, it will be good to watch opera to low price.