Teatro Filarmonico

The Teatro Filarmonico or Verona Philharmonic Theatre is the main opera theater in Verona, Italy, and is one of the leading Opera Houses in Europe. Having been built in 1716, and later rebuilt after a fire of January 21, 1749, and again after the allied bombing of February 23, 1945.

History

Verona needed an opera house, so it was decided in the early 18th century to build a theatre worthy and large. Work began in 1716 and lasted 13 years. Finally, inauguration was on the evening of January 6, 1732, with the pastoral drama La Fida Ninfa by Antonio Vivaldi, a libretto by Scipio Maffei. The opera season became famous, and the performances led society events. But on January 21, 1749, fire eventually spread in the theatre. Rebuilt, the theater was re-dedicated in 1754 with the opera Lucio Vero by Neapolitan composer Davide Perez. The opera had a limited success. Corsican in the 18th century, during the French invasion, a long series of celebrations were held in the theater, such as the Cantata per la Santa Alleanza ("Cantata for the Holy Alliance") of Gioachino Rossini. The theater hosted international singers, and among its repertoire appear the most famous works of Italian and foreign melodrama.

Verona Arena

The Verona Arena (Arena di Verona) is a Roman amphitheatre in Piazza Bra in Verona, Italy built in 1st century. It is still in use today and is internationally famous for the large-scale opera performances given there. It is one of the best preserved ancient structures of its kind. In ancient times, nearly 30,000 people was the housing capacity of the Arena. Nowadays, for security reasons, the maximum attendance is of 15,000 people.

Amphitheatre

The building itself was built in AD 30 on a site which was then beyond the city walls. The ludi (shows and games) staged there were so famous that spectators came from many other places, often far away, to witness them. The amphitheatre could host more than 30,000 spectators in ancient times.

The round façade of the building was originally composed of white and pink limestone from Valpolicella, but after a major earthquake in 1117, which almost completely destroyed the structure's outer ring, except for the so-called "ala", the stone was quarried for re-use in other buildings. Nevertheless, it impressed medieval visitors to the city, one of whom considered it to have been a labyrinth, without ingress or egress.Ciriaco d'Ancona was filled with admiration for the way it had been built and Giovanni Antonio Panteo's civic panegyric De laudibus veronae, 1483, remarked that it struck the viewer as a construction that was more than human.

Teatro

Teatro may refer to:

Verona

Verona (Italian pronunciation: [veˈroːna]; Venetian: Verona, Veròna) is a city straddling the Adige river in Veneto, northern Italy, with approximately 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of northeast Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona covers an area of 1,426 km² (550.58 sq mi) and has a population of 714,274 inhabitants. It is one of the main tourist destinations in northern Italy, owing to its artistic heritage, several annual fairs, shows, and operas, such as the lyrical season in the Arena, the ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans.

Three of Shakespeare's plays are set in Verona: Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Taming of the Shrew. The city has been awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO because of its urban structure and architecture.

Etymology

The etymology of the name Verona is unknown. It may be derived from Vera, perhaps an Etruscan person's name; or it might be of Gallic origin; it may be the name of a Roman family or come from the Latin ver, meaning "spring". But according to one legend the legendary founder of the city, the Gallic chieftain Brenno, called the new inhabited centre Vae Roma, that is "Accursed Rome", which then over the centuries became Verona.