  We present deep (I,V-I) and (I,B-I) color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of the
Antlia dwarf galaxy, based on Science Verification (SV) data collected with the
FORS I camera on the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT). The CMDs present two key
features: a well-defined RGB, and a sample of bright blue stars, belonging to a
young stellar component. The comparison between theory and observations
confirms that this sample of bright stars is consistent with the occurrence of
a star formation episode $\approx0.1$ Gyr ago. In agreement with previous
investigations (Sarajedini et al. 1997; Aparicio et al. 1997), we also find
that this young stellar population is more centrally concentrated than the old
one. By adopting the new calibration of the Tip of the RGB (TRGB) provided by
Salaris & Cassisi (1998) we estimated that the Antlia distance modulus is
$(m-M)_0=25.89\pm0.10$ mag, and therefore a distance $D=1.51\pm 0.07$ Mpc. This
distance determination is $\approx13%$ larger than the values suggested in
previous investigations. By adopting the calibration of the RGB $(V-I)$ color
index as a function of the metallicity, we estimated that the mean metallicity
of Antlia stellar population is of the order of $[Fe/H]\approx-1.3$. The
differential RGB luminosity function shows an excess in the observed counts -at
the $2\sigma$ level- when compared with theoretical predictions. Plain
arguments on the dependence of the TRGB luminosity on stellar age suggest that
this discrepancy might be due to a stellar component with an age approximately
equal to 0.7 Gyr.
