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Verona is ancient Roman The arena will be modernized and become more accessible to people with disabilities ahead of the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, where it will host both the Olympic closing ceremony and the Paralympic opening ceremony.
produced by Romans In the first century, verona The arena was conceived for gladiator battles and the ancient hunting of exotic animals, renovated as a medieval marketplace and more recently served as the venue of a famous opera festival.
In none of its previous iterations has the grand structure been made suitably accessible to people with disabilities or those requiring any form of assistance. Furthermore, some security features intended as stopgaps have existed for decades without being updated.
The upcoming Games provide an opportunity to give the ancient arena – which is older than the Roman Colosseum by decades – to an access and security makeover before hosting an expected 11,000 people for the closing ceremony on February 22 and about 10,000 for the Paralympic opening ceremony on March 6.
“This is an ancient monument that is approximately 2,000 years old, which remains active and hosts visitors,” said architect Giulio Fenives, whose Milan studio designed the new security and accessibility features.
“The Olympic opportunity has made it possible to rethink many logistical aspects, including entry and exit facilities, as it continues to host major events with thousands of people,” Fenivs said.
The facelift is part of an 18 million euro ($21 million) project to improve accessibility for the entire area around the arena and is being overseen by the government company responsible for Olympic infrastructure.
The works include making a one-kilometre stretch of sidewalks from Verona’s main railway station to the arena safe by building small ramps for wheelchairs or baby strollers. Dedicated bike lanes are also being built.
Paralympian Attending the parade of athletes across Corso Porta Nuova, across Piazza Bra and into the Arena, you will see that the route has been significantly improved for those who require wheelchairs or have other mobility problems.
The work is being coordinated with authorities responsible for the conservation of the monument, as well as those overseeing access codes to bring the structure into line with current legislation.
Fenivs said, “The new elements must be integrated in the most delicate and harmonious way for a monument that is both strong and delicate at the same time.”
Inside the Arena, the centerpiece project is a wheelchair-accessible ramp clad in pre-rusted steel and the same pruned stone from the Lessinia hills above Verona that was used by the Romans to build the Arena.
The local stone gives the arena a pinkish-yellow color and includes fossilized shells – the remains of a prehistoric sea that once covered the area now known for its hills and vineyards.
The ramp will be removable, but project manager Paolo Zecchinelli said he hoped it would be retained as a legacy of the Games.
Until now, people with wheelchairs or walkers came by the natural slope leading down from the adjacent Piazza Bra.
In addition to the ramp that blends in with the original features of the arena, the local organizing committee is planning a new temporary ramp to accommodate not only disabled spectators and athletes, but also the elderly, families with children and anyone who needs assistance.
The overall project also includes a new railing on the top level of the arena in place of a railing constructed in the 1950s that was temporary, as well as new railings at various heights on the interior stairs and at the 72 entrances to the tiered seats. The bathrooms are being renovated by the city, and the infrastructure company is building new ramps to make them more accessible.
Work will continue after the Olympics and Paralympics, including the installation of an elevator that will allow people with limited mobility to reach the top level of the arena, either to watch the show or to take in the views of the surrounding hills.
Zecchinelli said, “A portion will remain as a gift to the city, which will help make this beautiful monument more accessible to those who come to see it and those who attend opera performances and other concerts.”
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More AP coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics