Arena di Verona is a Roman amphitheater located in the historical center of Verona, in Piazza Bra. The Verona Arena is one of the best preserved amphitheaters in the world, thanks to the systematic restorations carried out since the 16th century. TIP: If you want to visit the Verona Arena without spending a very long time in the waiting line (which, by the way, is always there), buy your skip-the-line ticket in advance, to ensure you have a fast track access. SHORT HISTORY OF ARENA DI VERONA Arena di Verona was built around the year 30 AD, in an area outside the city walls. In 265, the Roman Emperor Gallienus decided to built a new stretch of wall, 550 meters long, to finally include the Arena. The amphitheater was slowly abandoned in the following centuries, due to the affirmation of Christianity and the consequent end of the gladiatorial games. During the reign of Theodoric the Great, at the beginning of the 5th century, some shows were held in the Arena, and therefore many chronicles of the time attributed the construction of the amphitheater to him. However, the most serious damage to the amphitheater was done by the same Read more [...]
Tag: monument in Verona
Porta San Giorgio
Porta San Giorgio, also known as Porta Trento, is a monumental gate in Verona, located in the northern part of the city, on the western bank of the Adige River. The name of the gate derives from nearby church of San Giorgio in Braida. SHORT HISTORY A first gate erected on this spot was commissioned by Cangrande I della Scala and built between 1321 and 1324 after a project by the architect Calzaro. In the 16th century, during the Venetian occupation, the gate was rebuilt as part of the reinforcement of the fortifications of Verona. The work began in 1525 and was completed one year later, in 1526, on a project traditionally attributed to Giovanni Maria Falconetto. However, the side facing the city remained unfinished and was only completed in 1840 by the Austro-Hungarians, under the direction of the Imperial Royal Office of Fortifications. ARCHITECTURE The facade of the gate facing the countryside, covered with polished white stone, resembling a triumphal arch, was built in Renaissance style. The composition is in Doric style, adorned with shields and commemorative plaques of the Venetian era. The 19th-century facade of the gate, facing the city, is covered with volcanic tuff, and Read more [...]
Arco dei Gavi
Arco dei Gavi is a monument in Verona, located just outside the walls of the ancient Roman city. The arch was built in the 1st century to celebrate the gens Gavia, an important Roman family of Verona. SHORT HISTORY The arch was commissioned by the Gavia family to the architect Lucius Vitruvius Cerdo, and built in the last years of the reign of Augustus or in the first years of the reign of Tiberius, around the middle of the 1st century. Erected along Via Postumia as an isolated monument, it was later stripped of the decorative elements and incorporated into the new municipal walls built in the 12th century. Around that time, the arch changed its function and was used as a city gate, being called the Gate of San Zeno (Porta di San Zeno). During the Scaligeri domination, the arch became part of the defensive system of Castelvecchio, built in the second half of the 14th century. During the Venetian domination, which financed the construction of the Venetian walls, the structure lost its defensive function. In 1550, the Venetian Republic ceded the area around the building to private individuals. The new owner decided to free the monument by Read more [...]