It is here at the Teatro Romano where the people of Verona celebrate important summer festivals: the theater complex is composed of buildings from several periods, inserted into a lovely natural atmosphere in the side of the hill.
Originallythe theater was composed of terraces that went from the shore of the Adige River to the top of the hill, with a temple crowning the complex. It was built at the beginning of the first century A.D., and during the 10th century religious and residential buildings were erected, which completely hid the structure of the theater. One of such buildings which today is still standing, on the eastern wing of the cavea, is the church of Saints Siro and Libera. During approximately the middleof the 19th centu- ry, excavation of the site was first begun, and in 1904 the Town of Verona was donated the area, such that they carried on recuperating the site until its completion, in the 70s. From 1948 onwards, the theater has been the seat of the so-called Estate Teatrale Veronese, which is a summer festival for theatrical performances (with a clear preference for Shakespeare and Goldoni), and since 1968 dance performances have been added to the program.Furthermore, since 1985 it has been the seat of the Verona Jazz Festival. The Teatro Romano is composed of the archaeological remains of the stage, the orchestra, the cavea, made of white limestone from Valpolicella, two galleries and three terraces, reaching the top of the hill. From the upper loggia it is possible to reach the Museo Archeologico, which is housed in the Ex Convento di S. Girolamo.
