Teatro La Fenice – Venice’s World Famous Opera House:
Front facade of La Fenice Opera House
That was in 1792. Fenice Opera House was struck by disaster again in 1836 when fire destroyed the opera theatre and again in January 1996 when arson caused it to be burned to the ground.
Teatro La Fenice in 1837
The architect and construction company obviously did their homework. For, apart from things looking a lot newer than a 200-year old opera house should look, Teatro Fenice is virtually indistinguishable from the original.
The project to rebuild the famed Venice opera house gained international support. Americans paid for the ceiling, while British donors bought the stellar chandeliers. After five thousand trips down the Grand Canal, the work was complete.
Over the years the theatre has played host to such famed musical names as Rossini, Donizetti and Verdi. Rich and poor, highborn and low alike flocked to hear them and the music they created as Italians from all walks of life love their opera.
For those interested in an opera in Venice (www.teatrolafenice.it/), one can enjoy here the leading artists of the day sing and play many of the works of those early masters. La Traviata is performed here in a way that can be heard nowhere else. Be forewarned, though, that (like the original) some seats don’t even have a view of the stage. The acoustics continue to be truly fine.
The Teatro Fenice is a world class opera house and even for those whose musical tastes run elsewhere, there is still much to see in the building. Daytime tours provide a view of some of the most fascinating aspects of this historic structure.
Walking along these hallowed halls tourists will enjoy seeing the elaborate plaster decorations. The gilding was all carefully recreated to give the walls and ceiling the look they had for nearly two centuries.
Knowledgeable tour guides fill visitors in on the history of the building and its most notable performers. For 45 minutes it becomes very easy to imagine oneself a member of the class that would have been taken on private tours generations earlier.
Audio guides are available in Italian, German, French, Spanish and English. The guided tours are also available in those languages, but a group of at least ten is required. With so many tourists in Venice, it’s a simple matter to gather even strangers to participate. Some tours include a cocktail at the end, served in the Apollinee Halls.
See What’s on at Teatro La Fenice
Check here for Operas at other Venice venues
Getting there:
The Fenice can be easily reached by taking waterbus Line 1, which runs on the Grand Canal and has stops at both the train station and Piazzale Roma. Just get off at the nearby stop of Santa Maria del Giglio.
Address:
Teatro Fenice
Campo San Fantin, 1965
30124 Venice, Italy
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14 Jan, 2017.Just enjoyed a programme on t.v., with Timothy West and Prunella Scales going round Venice.
They visited La Fenice Opera House, and mentioned the fire in 1996. I was wondering how much it all cost to rebuild ? On ‘The Net’ it said the Americans paid for the ceiling, and we Brits paid for the chandeliers….I can’t seem to find a complete list of costs and who actually paid ? Was it the local municipality? Any information would be most interesting . Many Thanks.
Hi Rosemarie,
On Wikipedia, an amount of some €90 million is mentioned. This sounds credible since A.T.I. Holzmann, the original company awarded the tender in 1997, were fired in March 2001 for lack of performance and continued delays. The next group awarded the tender in October 2001 had put in a winning bid at €54.8. So combine this with the cost of the original works and litigation, €90 million seems credible.
The Municipality of Venice owns La Fenice so I would assume they did the fundraising in conjunction with grants from the Italian treasury. I could ask the question when we’re there in April.
Kind regards,
Helen