Italy prepares to say 'arrivederci' with closing show in ancient Verona Arena

VERONA, Italy, Feb 22 : Italy will bring down the curtain on two weeks of scintillating Olympic sporting action on Sunday with a closing ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena amphitheatre.

The show, scheduled for 8:30 p.m. (1930 GMT), is entitled "Beauty in Action" and will feature leading Italian ballet dancer Roberto Bolle and celebrate Italian art as well as sporting achievement.

The area around the 2,000-year-old Arena, in the heart of Verona,  was cordoned off from early on Sunday, with entry limited to pass‑holders, residents or ticket‑holders for security reasons. Tourists were surprised to find access to the main Piazza Bra restricted.

Protesters opposed to staging the Games are expected to demonstrate in Verona on Sunday afternoon.

The ceremony is being held in an open-air Roman amphitheatre renowned for staging opera and pop concerts in the heart of the northern Italian city made famous as the setting for William Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet".

ITALY  TO CELEBRATE GAMES AND GOLD MEDALS

With the Olympic medals won and lost, the tone of the closing ceremony in the Arena is expected to be relaxed and free-wheeling.     Italian singer Achille Lauro and DJ/producer Gabry Ponte will be there to get the party going and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will be among the crowd.

Tickets were priced from 950 euros ($1,120) to a top level of 2,900 euros. The weather has been kind, with no rain forecast.

The Games, co-hosted by Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, have been hailed a success by International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry, and the mood has been lifted by a record medal haul for the Italians.

  "It’s the culmination of an extraordinary Olympics for the medal tally and for how the competitions unfolded, for the