Feb 10, 2025
In the outskirts of Verona, there is a very intriguing place where the props for the Arena Opera Festival are invented and crafted.
There you can find 40 highly specialized artisans working in team with the Opera directors to create the props to stage the Opera shows in the Roman Arena of Verona.
It is a huge construction site consisting of 5 plants for:
- Carpentry
- Metal working
- Scenography with an amazing “kitchen” for the making of colors, the pigments archive, and the room for the fiber glass working
- Sculpture modeling polistirene as well as clay and plasticine, to recreate wood, stone or metal effects
- Costumes where tailors and shoe makers customize all clothing for the singers, the choir and all the extras. Here set objects, curtains, jewels and weapons are also produced.
Set designers and technicians use executive sketches and drawings for a small scale model that becomes the main guideline for that specific Opera, be it La traviata or Aida, Nabucco or Carmen.
The Arena di Verona is a 2,000 year old monument with its own preservation requirements: it is paramount to consider the specific restrictions of that heritage building, given by the local Roman Archeology Board.
As an example, heavy iron props or beams are not allowed on the old, Roman steps!
If you are interested in seeing the prop lab facilities, please write to us at info@veronatours.com and we will try to make it possible.
