Verona Arena & Wine Bars

What to do there

6 things to do

1. 1

   Touch the Stones That Killed Gladiators 2,000 Years Ago

   history Price: moderate

   The Arena di Verona was hosting bloodsport before the Colosseum in Rome was even built.

   This amphitheater was built around 30 AD — decades before Rome's Colosseum. It held 30,000 spectators watching gladiators for 400 years until an earthquake on January 3, 1117 destroyed the ENTIRE outer ring except four surviving arches — the 'Ala' — standing alone on the south side. Enter the arena floor at Piazza Bra (€12, Tue-Sun 9am-7pm) and walk to center of the sand where gladiators died. Look up at rising tiers of Roman stone, then walk outside to stand beneath those four lonely arches — you're in the ghost of a building that once rose an entire storey higher.

   BACKUP: If closed for opera setup (April–September), the exterior and 'Ala' are always free and visible from Piazza Bra. The four-arched section is outside the ticketed area.

   Log Memory
2. 2

   Stand on Verona's Roman Forum — It's Still Underneath Your Feet

   history Free

   Piazza delle Erbe is a medieval herb market built on top of a Roman forum. Nothing has changed except the merchandise.

   The Romans laid this city's foundations with a military grid — two main roads crossing at the center, creating the forum exactly where you're standing in Piazza delle Erbe. The original forum was TWICE the current piazza's size with a Capitolium temple where there's now a vegetable stall. Find the Fontana di Madonna Verona (1368) at center — the woman's body is assembled from a Roman thermal bath fragment, and her bronze scroll reads 'this city is the bearer of justice and lover of praise.' She's stood here while Dante, Shakespeare, and Goethe all passed through this square. Walk the piazza's full length — medieval buildings sit on Roman foundations, some lower stone courses ARE Roman masonry.

   BACKUP: Always open, free, best in the morning before tourist crowds and at dusk when the golden light hits the old frescoes on the building facades.

   Log Memory
3. 3

   Find the Warlord Who Was Poisoned by His Own Family — Then Smile Back at His Tomb

   history Free

   The Scaliger family ruled Verona for 120 years. Their warlord Cangrande — 'Big Dog' — conquered northern Italy in 1329 and was dead four days later.

   In 1329, Cangrande I — 'Big Dog' — conquered Treviso and finally united northern Italy under one ruler. Four days later he was dead. For 700 years people assumed natural causes until 2004 scientists discovered he'd been poisoned with foxglove, almost certainly by his own relatives. Look up at the Arche Scaligere (Via Santa Maria Antica 4, behind iron fence) at his tomb: he sits on his horse, sword raised, grinning — the only smiling warlord in all Gothic art. The Della Scala family ruled Verona for 120 years, and their name means 'of the stairs' — every bar on the iron fence is decorated with a staircase motif.

   BACKUP: Piazza dei Signori is 30 meters away — the courtyard where Dante gave his exile lectures and where Verona's power changed hands for centuries. Free to walk through.

   Log Memory
4. 4

   Drink the Wine That Tricked a Sommelier Into Thinking It Was Amarone

   wine Price: low

   In 2005, a sommelier tasted Alfredo Buglioni's new Ripasso blind and declared it Amarone. He was wrong. The wine has been called 'Il Bugiardo' — The Liar — ever since.

   Alfredo Buglioni's Ripasso means 'repassed' — fresh Valpolicella poured over spent Amarone grape skins for 10-12 days, triggering second fermentation that creates a Valpolicella wearing Amarone's coat. At Osteria del Bugiardo (Corso Porta Borsari 17/A, open daily 11am), ask for 'Il Bugiardo Ripasso' (€7-10 a glass). Smell before tasting — that dark plum, tobacco and dried cherry nose once tricked a sommelier into calling it Amarone. It isn't — it's better value and more drinkable than most Amarone. Order the cicchetti plate with local Monte Veronese cheese.

   BACKUP: If Il Bugiardo is sold out by the glass, order Il Lussurioso (the actual Amarone from the same estate) — about €15 a glass. This is the real thing: grapes dried for 120 days on bamboo racks until 40% of their weight has evaporated, then fermented to 16%+ ABV.

   Log Memory
5. 5

   Descend into a 3rd-Century BC Cellar Holding 18,000 Bottles of Amarone

   wine Price: moderate

   The Antica Bottega del Vino's cellar is built into a structure that existed 300 years before the Roman Empire. The 4,500 labels include every great Amarone vintage since 1957.

   This is Verona's oldest wine institution with roots to the 1500s, now owned by Le Famiglie Storiche — the association of Verona's 13 historic Amarone dynasties (Allegrini, Masi, Speri, Tedeschi, others). The cellar beneath your feet at Antica Bottega del Vino (Vicolo Scudo di Francia 3, off Piazza Erbe) is built into 3rd century BC stonework — before Rome conquered northern Italy. The terracotta vaulted ceiling predates the Colosseum by 200 years. 18,000 bottles. 4,500 labels. 120 available by the glass daily. Ask the sommelier for an Amarone vs. Ripasso flight — the contrast is the education. Quality Amarone by the glass costs €12-18.

   BACKUP: If Antica Bottega is full (it often is without a reservation at dinner), Enoteca Baraldi nearby on Via Emilei or Signorvino on Via Mazzini (1,500 labels, tortelli all'amarone on the menu) are excellent alternatives.

   Log Memory
6. 6

   Watch 15,000 Candles Light the Arena at Opera's First Note

   Optional

   adventure Price: high

   On August 10, 1913, there was no electricity. Spectators brought their own candles. Franz Kafka and Maxim Gorky were in the crowd. That night never stopped.

   Giovanni Zenatello had an idea in 1913: stage Aida inside the ancient Arena for Verdi's centenary. There was no electricity, so 8,000 spectators brought candles. In the audience: Puccini, Mascagni, Boito, Franz Kafka, and Maxim Gorky — the birth of the world's most spectacular open-air opera tradition. Book months ahead via arena.it for the June 12-September 12 season (103rd Festival). Tickets start at €30 for stone steps; premium sectors run €100+. Arrive before sunset for the light on pink limestone as it fades. At darkness and the overture's first note, 15,000 people simultaneously light their tiny flames — the amphitheater that hosted gladiators fills with 15,000 points of light.

   BACKUP: If it's outside opera season, the Arena hosts rock concerts and events throughout the summer — check the full calendar at arena.it. Even on a non-performance day, standing in the Arena at dusk and imagining those 15,000 flames is worth the €12 daytime admission.

   Log Memory

Insider Tips

• Summer opera season in the arena is unforgettable

• Osteria del Bugiardo for natural wines

• Romeo's balcony is tourist trap — skip it

• Piazza Erbe is the ancient Roman forum