Gran Teatro La Fenice
Venice
The Gran Teatro La Fenice is the opera house of Venice, opened in 1792. Destroyed by fire in 1836 and again in 1996, it has been rebuilt twice.
A new theatre and a name full of hope
At the end of the 1700s the Nobile Società, a company of nobles, lost the city's most luxurious theatre. It decided to build a new, bigger one in campo San Fantin.
It named it after the immortal bird of ancient legends, able to be reborn. The design competition was won by the architect Giannantonio Selva, and the theatre opened on 16 May 1792.
Two fires
On 13 December 1836 the fire lasted three days and destroyed the auditorium. One year was enough to rebuild it: it reopened on 26 December 1837.
On 29 January 1996 a fire started on purpose destroyed the theatre again. It was rebuilt as it was and where it was. The bell tower of San Marco had been rebuilt with the same motto. The theatre reopened in December 2003, after almost eight years of work.
The great premieres
Operas by Rossini, Donizetti and Verdi had their first nights here, the great names of Italian opera in the 1800s. Verdi's premieres here also included Ernani, Attila, Rigoletto and Simon Boccanegra.
