Roman arena to be given accessible makeover for Games

A 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre is to be made fully accessible to people with disabilities before the Winter Paralympic Games in Milano-Cortina, as organisers prioritise legacy with 100 days to go.

- Paul MacInnes

The conversion of the Arena di Verona, which will host the Paralympics opening ceremony, includes the addition of a lift and toilets to a structure older than the Colosseum. Described by the Milano-Cortina 2026 chief executive, Andrea Varnier, as “the symbol of our Paralympic Games”, he admits the conversion has also been considered as an act of “blasphemy” by some traditionalists.

“The decision to stage the opening ceremony in the Arena di Verona is not just an aesthetic one although, of course, we like to showcase such a beauty,” Varnier said. “But it was also an idea, to make the arena accessible and not only the arena itself but the entire route from the railway station to the venue.