The white and pink limestone Arena di Verona, one of the most exciting opera outdoor venues, is actually a place with a horrifying history. The arena was not originally built for opera performances; of course - built in 30 AD, this Roman amphitheatre predates the genre of opera by many centuries. The 'performances' that were held there involved deathly gladiator fights. In 1278, Arena di Verona was used to punish and execute the condemned. It was only during the Renaissance that the arena was gradually taken over by the theatre; Arena di Verona became a permanent theatrical venue as late as in 1913 when it was chosen as the stage for a grand performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida, marking the composer's centenary. The outstanding acoustics did not go unnoticed during the performance of the opera, and it was almost overnight that Arena di Verona transformed into a popular venue of gala concerts and grand performances. It has lost none of its appeal and popularity. For the whole of summer, Arena di Verona is taken over by an annual summer opera festival - the Arena di Verona Festival focusing on the quality of music and the exciting acoustic experience of listening to an opera performance in an ancient amphitheatre. After Rome's Colosseum and Arena di Capua, Arena di Verona is the third largest extant ancient amphitheatre. Its 45-step/seat rows seat 22 000 spectators.
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