Rigoletto: Arena di Verona Opera Festival
Verona, Arena di Verona
About the Event
From August 8 to September 6, 2025, at the Arena di Verona, you can experience Rigoletto, the first opera from Giuseppe Verdi's famous 'popular trilogy'. On four dates you will have the opportunity to discover this absolute masterpiece of Italian melodrama. Immerse yourself in the magical world of Rigoletto and be inspired by touching arias such as 'Caro nome', 'Cortigiani, vil razza dannata' and the timeless 'La donna è mobile'.
Rigoletto is a three‐act play by Guiseppe Verdi written in 1851 and based on Victor Hugo’s play 'Le Roi s’amuse' (Fr.: The king amuses himself). The play was banned by the censors for its depiction of immorality and satirical undermining of royal authority, therefore in Verdi’s opera the character of the king becomes a duke. 'Rigoletto' was the first of Verdi's masterpiece to achieve immediate box‐office success following its premiere at the Teatro 'La Fenice' in Venice.
Act 1
A party at the court of the Duke of Mantua. Rigoletto makes jokes at the expense of Count Monterone, whose daughter has been seduced by the Duke, and Monterone curses Rigoletto. Despite Rigoletto's best efforts to shield his daughter Gilda from the outside world, she has met and fallen in love with the lascivious Duke, disguised as a simple student. The Duke and his henchmen kidnap Gilda from her home, leaving Rigoletto devastated.
Act 2
The next morning, the Duke's henchmen gleefully recount the kidnapping. Rigoletto arrives at the Duke's palace, desperate to discover what has happened to Gilda. When he finds her and learns that she has been with the Duke, Rigoletto becomes obsessed with vengeance.
Act 3
Rigoletto hires a hitman named Sparfucile to murder the Duke. Sparfucile's seductive sister Maddelena lures the Duke to an isolated inn. Rigoletto forces Gilda to witness the Duke flirting with Maddalena. Maddelena feels drawn to the Duke, and asks Sparfucile to spare him Sparfucile agrees to do so, if anyone should arrive to die in the Duke's place. Still in love with the Duke, Gilda enters the inn and is killed. Rigoletto discovers that his plot has resulted in Gilda's death, and Monterone's curse is complete.
Practical Information
Included are:
- Ticket to the opera performance in the chosen category
- One month's free access to a premium classical music streaming service
- self‐guided audio tour of Verona in English
Program
- Giuseppe Verdi – Rigoletto
Cast / Production
Direction: Ivo Guerra
Set design: Raffaele Del Savio
Costumes: Carla Galleri
Conductor: Michele Spotti
Orchestra, Chorus, Dance and Technicians: Fondazione Arena di Verona
Chorus Master: Roberto Gabbiani
Dance Company Coordinator: Gaetano Petrosino
Director of stage design: Michele Olcese
Il Duca di Mantova:
Pene Pati 08/08 30/08 06/09
Galeano Salas 22/08
Rigoletto:
Amartuvshin Enkhbat 08/08 22/08
Luca Salsi 30/08
Youngjun Park 06/09
Gilda:
Nadine Sierra 08/08
Rosa Feola 22/08
Erin Morley 30/08 06/09
Sparafucile:
Gianluca Buratto 08/08 22/08 30/08 06/09
Giovanna:
Agostina Smimmero 08/08 22/08 30/08 06/09
Il Conte di Monterone:
Abramo Rosalen 08/08 22/08 30/08 06/09
Marullo:
Nicolò Ceriani 08/08 22/08 30/08 06/09
Matteo Borsa:
Matteo Macchioni 08/08 22/08 30/08 06/09
Il Conte di Ceprano:
Carlo Striuli 08/08 22/08 30/08 06/09
La Contessa di Ceprano:
Francesca Maionchi 08/08 22/08 30/08 06/09
Un Usciere di Corte:
Ramaz Chikviladze 08/08 22/08 30/08 06/09
Un Paggio della Duchessa:
Elisabetta Zizzo 08/08 22/08 30/08 06/09
Arena di Verona
The Arena di Verona is the third largest Roman amphitheatre still standing. Built around 30 AD, the Arena is also among the best-preserved amphitheatres of the period. Its gigantic dimensions (140 meters long and 100 meters wide), and seating for over 30,000 spectators, ensure it dominates the northern part of Piazza Bra. Excellent acoustics and a fabulous location make it an ideal venue for large-scale opera performances. The monument was re-established as a theatre during the Renaissance, and in 1913 the tradition of opera at the Arena di Verona began with a production of Giuseppe Verdi's 'Aida'.
Address
Arena di Verona, Piazza Bra 28, Verona, Italy — Google Maps
