March 6, 2026: Opening Ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Paralympics. Like the Olympic Closing Ceremony, it will be held at the ancient Roman amphitheater “Arena di Verona” in Verona.
However, hosting the opening ceremony at this venue presented a critical problem. It wasn’t the lack of a roof.
It was the stairs.
Built in the 1st century AD, this amphitheater is essentially a wheelchair-inaccessible fortress, composed of steep stone steps and narrow passageways.
How could they welcome Paralympic athletes and wheelchair-bound spectators from around the world into this “2000-year-old stone structure”? For Italy, it was a challenge more daunting than adding a roof: the world’s most difficult barrier-free construction project.
Why was a “roof” unacceptable, but an “elevator” acceptable?
In a previous article, we reported that the plan to install a retractable roof over this arena was rejected by the Cultural Properties Protection Agency on the grounds that it would “detract from the landscape.”
In Italy, aesthetics is an absolute justice that takes precedence over economic rationality. Yet the conservation authority approved the elevator installation.
This was because a modern justice—human rights—prevailed over aesthetics.
The dilemma: preserving ancient form while ensuring universal access. Italy found a solution in technology.
Not a single nail driven into the stone. Reversible ninja techniques.
The keyword for this project, which cost approximately 18 million euros, is “reversibility.”
This means that “once the event is over, it can be completely restored to its original state.”
Normally, installing an elevator requires drilling holes in walls and driving in bolts. However, damaging the limestone of a World Heritage site is not permitted.
Therefore, a “self-supporting structure” was adopted.
The Miracle at Gate 65
A modern elevator tower made of metal and glass will be installed at the 65th Arch (Arco Voloro) on the outer perimeter of the arena.
It does not touch the existing walls at all. It is simply “placed” inside the arch.
Use of Glass
Highly transparent glass was extensively used in the materials. This consideration ensures the weighty presence of the stone remains undisturbed while “visually erasing” the modern structure.
By installing such an ingeniously designed elevator, wheelchair users can now access the upper tiers (cavea) of the arena via a route that had been inaccessible for 2,000 years.
Athletes emerge from the “underground.”
The theme for the Paralympic Opening Ceremony is “Life in Motion.”
Barrier-free access isn’t limited to the spectator seats. The athletes’ entrance route has also undergone significant changes.
The underground passageway beneath the arena (Hypoium), where gladiators and wild beasts once waited. This renovation has equipped the underground passageway with ramps and elevators.
During the Opening Ceremony, we may witness a dramatic entrance where Paralympic athletes emerge from here onto the surface, bathed in light.
Toward the Paralympic Legacy
This construction project is not solely for the Paralympics. The City of Verona positions it as part of its PEBA (Plan for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers).
After the Games, some facilities may be removed based on “reversibility,” but key elevators and ramps will remain, opening the Arena to all who previously had to give up on visiting—including seniors and families with strollers.
The roof was sacrificed for aesthetics, but the elevators were realized through an obsession with accessibility.
The opening ceremony of the Paralympics on March 6, 2026, will mark the day humanity finally conquered this stone fortress after 2000 years.
References
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