Verona, the city forever associated with Romeo and Juliet, will host the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina on Sunday evening, with a spectacle called “Beauty in Motion”.
Organizers have been secretly rehearsing the closing ceremony in Verona’s arena this week, along with around 350 volunteers.
The closing ceremony of the Games will begin with a triumphant parade of athletes through Piazza Bra to the famous Arena, which once served as a stage for gladiatorial fights and exotic animal hunting. The third largest Roman amphitheater in Italy is getting a new name for the Winter Olympics, becoming the Verona Olympic Arena.
The closing ceremony was inspired by a drop of water, symbolizing the connection between the mountainous Olympic sites and the Po Valley, home to Milan and Verona, and serving as a reminder that the Winter Olympics are changing due to climate change.
Verona was chosen for its unique venue and relatively central location, said Maria Laura Jascone, head of the local organizing committee. She promised a more intimate evening than the opening ceremony. While more than 60,000 people watched the opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro stadium, around 12,000 will attend the closing ceremony.
Jascone said about 1,500 of the nearly 3,000 athletes competing in the Games are expected to attend the closing ceremony.
The ceremony will end with the extinguishing of the Olympic flame, and the light show will replace the traditional fireworks, which are not allowed in Verona for reasons of animal protection, reports Gol.hr.
Verona’s ancient Arena will also be the venue for the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Winter Games on March 6.
(Vijesti.ba)
