Rear view of La Fenice in Venice - the main entrance when you arrive by gondola.
In 1773, the opera house burned to the ground; in 1836, it was nearly destroyed; and in 1996, it burned down completely once again. Thus, shortly after the first fire, the name La Fenice - the phoenix, the mythical bird rising from the ashes - was quickly adopted. News of its rebirth spread like wildfire - pardon the pun.
Numerous world-class works have been performed here, such as Rigoletto, La Traviata, and Simon Boccanegra (all by Giuseppe Verdi).
Not to be forgotten is the Italian premiere of Richard Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung, who spent his final days in Venice in 1883 at the Palazzo Vendramin-Calergi on a tattered sofa that can be admired today at the Villa Wahnfried in Bayreuth.
La Fenice Information
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La Fenice |
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Ticket Office |
Open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Campo San Fantin San Marco 1965 |
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Tour |
The admission fee for the tour is €8.50 (reduced rate €6.50) , not the ticket price. Guided tours are available in Italian, English, German, French, and Spanish. For groups of 12 or more, guided tours of the entire theater are also available. |
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Phone |
+39 0412 722699 Staffed from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Individual tickets reserved through this number cost more, but no more than €10. |
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Website |
Dress Code at La Fenice
Tuxedo with rubber
boots: Dress code
- For season-opening events:
A black tie (tuxedo) is recommended (read: required). - On regular opening nights:
Black dress for her, jacket and tie for him. - Otherwise:
A button-down shirt and jeans are acceptable. - Afternoon performances:
- Smart-casual, but NO shorts or tank tops - otherwise, you really won't be let in and will have to listen to the gurgling of the canals from behind the building.
Because La Fenice is located in one of the lowest-lying areas of Venice, rubber boots are an excellent (and accepted) choice during high water of approximately 100 cm. Waders are recommended for water levels between 100 and 140 cm.
When high water exceeds 140 cm, there are no performances, as they are canceled.
Big names
and the next big thing.
Even after World War II, numerous world premieres continued to enhance the theater's reputation and prestige, including works by Benjamin Britten, Serge Prokofiev, Igor Stravinsky, and others.
Until it burned down once again in 1996. The circumstances, like so much in Venice, are not entirely clear. It is rumored that construction workers set the building on fire to avoid a contractual penalty, but this is not certain, especially since the surrounding canal had been drained, leaving no water available for firefighting. Somewhat strange, but surely just a coincidence.
But no fire can stop a true phoenix: even though the building wasn't completed until late 2004, it had already been reopened in 2003 under the direction of Riccardo Muti with a performance of Beethoven.