Tosca in the Verona arena

When I heard about the annual summer opera series that is held in the Roman arena in Verona, I knew I could convince Jim to go with me. He wouldn't be able to resist the opportunity to sit in the same arena as the proletariat who watched gladiatorial combats and mock battles. Finished in 30 AD, the arena in Verona is the third largest Roman coliseum, after Rome and Naples. The opera series this year includes Carmen, Aida, The Barber of Seville, Turandot, and Tosca. I wanted to see a Puccini opera because he lived in the nearby towns of Lucca and Viareggio. That narrowed it down to Turandot and Tosca. I queried our friend Jim B. who is an opera buff, and he described Tosca as "a tawdry little thing. A simple, lurid story with fabulous arias, and it is short, relatively speaking." Tawdry, lurid, and short...even Jim should like this!

Verona is a 2-1/2 hour drive from here on the autostrada. Verona, like many of the northern Italian cities, is very prosperous, so it is well preserved and maintained and has nice shopping districts with great restaurants and a lively arts scene. There is a lot to see and do in Verona in addition to the opera, but we found the best part of Verona was just riding our bicycles around the old town. We did stop in and visit the Basilica of San Zeno. Built mostly in the 12th century, it is the most ornate Romanesque church in northern Italy, with a beautiful wooden ceiling that replicates a boat's keel and a number of original frescoes, some of which have ancient graffiti etched into them. One guy had carved his name in a fancy script in 1755. The body of San Zeno--patron saint of Verona--is on display in the crypt. Creepy, but quite common in European churches.

For the opera, we had bought the cheap seats. It's festival seating on the highest marble steps, which will set you back about $45. The seating on the floor of the arena costs anywhere from $100 to $250. The atmosphere in our area was more like a baseball game than an opera with folks casually dressed and vendors selling cold drinks and renting cushions. This was in contrast to the scene on the floor, where wine was being served to women and men wearing their finest. The opera, which is in three acts, started at 9 and finished at 11:30. The short story of Tosca is that she tries to save her imprisoned lover by striking a deal with the general who lusts for her and holds her lover captive. She kills the general after she believes the deal is sealed, but the general, never had any intention to spare her lover. Tosca's lover is killed by a firing squad, and Tosca then jumps to her death as they come to arrest her for the general's murder. Not the most uplifting story, but the set was fascinating, the orchestra was fantastic, and, despite the size of the venue and no amplification, the singers voices magically found their way to our remote ears and, at times, with force! I had a wonderful time, and Jim conceded that he was willing to see another opera, but it had to be The Barber of Seville because of some connection with Bugs Bunny.

After I shot my obligatory Bella-and-Bruno-go-to-[famous town in Europe] photo, we drove home with a detour to the Valpolicella wine producing region near Lake Garda. Our guidebook suggested lunch in the tiny hamlet of San Giorgio. It was a good recommendation. We ordered a mixed plate of meats and cheeses and a half carafe of Valpolicella. We sat alone on a terrace overlooking the vineyards with Lake Garda in the distance and let some of Sunday afternoon slip away.