Roman Theatre and Archeological Museum

The theater was built on the slopes of the Hill of San Pietro towards the end of the 1st century B.C., during the principate of Octavian Augustus.

The construction, of spectacular grandeur, extended from the left bank of the Adige to the top of the hill, and had a scenic relationship with the Roman urban layout on the right bank of the river.

The Archaeological Museum at the Roman Theater of Verona is located within a convent from the 15th century. The Gesuati monks, belonging to a congregation founded by Giovanni Colombini from Siena in 1367, took care of the sick, and produced medicines, perfumes, and liquors. All these activities required a good supply of water, and the Hill of San Pietro was the ideal site.

The Roman theater, dating from the 1st century, was "discovered" by Andrea Monga in 1834, a wealthy Veronese merchant who purchased and excavated the entire area in the 19th century. In 1904, the entire complex was acquired by the Municipality of Verona, which continued the excavation and restoration work. The scenic building remains walls made of tuff blocks and structures to raise and lower the curtain. The tiered seating of the cavea has mostly been relocated or rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century, and the upper gallery with small arches has been partially reconstructed on a terrace.

The museum offers a splendid view of the city and the river from the Great Terrace, where objects from collections donated to the museum and Roman materials found in Verona and the province are displayed, such as Roman monuments, sacred and sepulchral inscriptions, mosaics, sculptures, and columns from the Arena. During the summer, the theater hosts the Veronese Theater Summer, featuring a modern stage for performances and festivals.