This looks really odd, I know. But if you knew that the place is Piazza Bra and at the back of the photographer stands the great roman Arena, you could work out that these egyptian statues are nothing more than part of the scenography of a huge opera show: the Aida by Giuseppe Verdi.
The neoclassical building with its corinthian colonnade is Palazzo Barbieri (1836), seat of the town council.
The Opera Festival opens in june and closes at the end of august. This spot of the square is used for this purpose throughout the Festival. Along with Romeo and Juliet's, the Opera is the highlight of the town. The uniqueness of the venue makes the play absolutely enchanting.
I have seen Bizet's "Carmen" (twice, my favourite), Verdi's Macbeth and Aida.
Have you ever been to the Opera?
