Stories and legends about the Verona Arena, near the Hotel Colomba d’Oro

The Verona Arena is unquestionably the landmark of the City of the Hotel Colomba d’Oro. It is the third-largest surviving Roman amphitheater in Europe, after the Colosseum in Rome and the one at ancient Capua, near Naples; and is the only one the only one among these “big three” to still be regularly used for shows and  performances. The history of this monument is partly little known, and even less known are some legends handed down by local tradition.

There are no written sources about the inauguration of the Verona Arena, which is located a few steps from the Colomba d’Oro. In an attempt to figure out when it dates back to, the Verona Arena was compared with the amphitheater of Pula, in Croatia, very similar in architectural style and engineering technique: the similarities between the two amphitheaters are so marked as to suggest that they were designed by the same architect and built by the same workers. Since the amphitheater of Pula is generally attributed to the Augustan period (therefore in the era that goes from the reign of Augustus to that of Nero, that is from 27 BC to 68 AD), it is likely that the Verona Arena also dates back to the same era. Confirmation came from the discovery in the Arena of a bronze coin that, according to archaeologists, dates its construction between 30 and 42 AD, at the beginning of the reign of Emperor Claudius: it is therefore older than the Colosseum, whose construction is dated between 70 and 72 AD.

Just like the Colosseum, the Verona Arena was built (on the site that is now a few steps from the Colomba d’Oro) to host gladiator fights, which took place in the central area, called “harena” : the Latin name for the sand, used to absorb the spilled blood.
Over the centuries, the Amphitheatre has had multiple uses: in the 13th century it was used to burn heretics at the stake, but also to celebrate the wedding of Antonio della Scala, the lord of Verona; during the Napoleonic occupation it was used both as a bullfighting venue and as a warehouse. The Verona Arena was then used as an open-air theatre for the first time in 1822, on the occasion of the performance of “La Santa Alleanza” with music by Gioachino Rossini. Then twice, in 1890 and 1906, the Arena hosted the famous “Wild West Show” of the legendary Buffalo Bill.
Finally in 1913, in celebration of the centenary of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi, the Verona Arena hosted its first opera performance: Aida. Until then, operas had never been performed in such large venues – much less outdoors. That bold experiment was a worldwide success, and gave birth to one of the most loved opera festivals in the world: all the greates, from Maria Callas to Luciano Pavarotti, have performed hereSince then. The Verona Arena has since become the largest opera house in the world: every summer its stage hosts the most famous operas.

Originally the Verona Arena featured a third external “ring”, so it was higher and larger: it is estimated that it could accommodate around 30 thousand spectators. Almost all of that ring collapsed due to a violent earthquake in 1117; today only a small part of it remains, which the Veronese call the “Wing” of the Arena. Most of the pieces of the Arena that collapsed with that earthquake were taken away by the Veronese who reused them to rebuild their homes: and so, yes, a large part of the city was rebuilt with stones from the Arena!

In the Middle Ages, however (when the convent that now houses the Hotel Colomba d’Oro was built), a legend circulated in Verona, that gave an alternative explanation for the fact that the Verona Arena has this fragmented appearance as if it were an unfinished work. The legend told of a Veronese nobleman condemned to death for serious crimes, who invoked the devil from his cell during the night before his execution. The devil appeared and offered him a way out: if he donated a huge theater for events and shows to the City, his crimes would be forgiven. In exchange, however, he would have to give up his soul. Driven by fear, the man accepted such deal; during the night, an army of demons emerged from the ground and began to build the Arena with incredible speed. But then, overwhelmed by remorse, the man turned to the Virgin Mary, begging to be freed from the devilish deal. Salvation came with the sound of the Angelus, which rang from the bells of a nearby church. Moved by divine intervention, the man repented and his soul was spared. And so, the Verona Arena would remain unfinished, and its appearance would be a symbol of the mercy of the Virgin Mary who had interceded to save the nobleman’s soul. Such ancient legend adds an aura of mystery and spirituality to one of the symbols of Verona, making it even more fascinating for guests of the Colomba d’Oro.