Teatro Romano e Museo Archeologico

The Teatro Romano and the Museo Archeologico al Teatro Romano lie at Regaste Redentore 2 on the north bank of the Adige in Veronetta, Verona, Italy, directly across Ponte Pietra from the old town. The Roman theatre dates from the late first century BC and was built into the slope of the San Pietro hill, so that the tiers of seats rise against the natural gradient. After centuries of neglect, buildings were constructed over it, and the theatre was excavated and restored in the nineteenth century by the scholar Andrea Monga. Today the semicircular cavea hosts summer performances of the Verona Shakespeare Festival and other shows, and visitors can sit on the restored steps and look back over the river to the city. The archaeological museum occupies the former convent of San Girolamo, set above the stage on the hillside. It displays Roman mosaics, bronzes, sculptures, inscriptions, glassware and ceramics found in Verona and its surroundings, along with Etruscan and Venetian-period finds. The convent cloister and its loggias offer views of the theatre and the river. A visit lasts about one to one and a half hours, with time to explore the theatre, the museum and the terraces above. Visitors can continue up to Castel San Pietro on foot using the steps and a lift connection within the museum complex. Good photo angles are from the highest tiers of the theatre toward Ponte Pietra and the cathedral dome, and across the river from the Lungadige at sunset. The site is rarely crowded, with the busiest periods being mid-morning in summer; Mondays open only in the afternoon, and evening performances close the theatre to day visitors. Mid-morning is the usual choice, followed by the climb to the viewpoint.