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It has since has to rise from the ashes, quite literally, two other times.
The 1790–92 version also burned down in 1836, but that time was quickly rebuilt as a "modern" 19th century opera house, which opened in 1837 and was soon hosting world premieres by Giuseppe Verdi—Atilla, Rigoletto, La Traviata—Rossini (Tancredi), Bellini (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), Benjamin Britten (The Turn of the Screw), and Igor Sravinsky (The Rake's Progress).
In January, 1996, the city stood still in shock as La Fenice once again burned to the ground in the middle of a long and extensive renovation.
In 2001, two electricians who had been working on the renovations were found guilty of starting the fire on purpose (they somehow figured this would clear their company of the large fines about to be imposed for their continual delays).
After a raging debate over whether to recreate the 19th century design or to be bold and go modern (affection for the old won that round), reconstruction started yet again.
In just 650 days a team of 200 artisans and builders had rebuilt the theater to its 1836 design—though somehow also managing to boost the seating capacity to 1,000.
Inaugural concerts in December 2003 included appearances by Riccardo Muti, musical director of Milan's La Scala, and Elton John.
La Fenice reopened its official 2004 season with a performance of—what else?—La Traviata, and has since regained its status among the world's top opera houses.
Like the Phoenix for which the theatre is named, Teatro La Fenice finally rose from the ashes in November 2004. Following a devastating fire in 1996 that nearly burned the famous opera house to the ground, massive reconstruction took place to restore the theatre to its original splendor. Known worldwide for its dramatic beauty, La Fenice is also known for being the cradle of many great operas. It was the site of the infamous fiasco at the premiere of La Traviata, and of the great triumphs of Tancredi...
Teatro La Fenice ★★
Campo San Fantin 1965 (San Marco)
Vaporetto: Giglio, S. Angelo, or Rialto
tel. +39-041-786-511
www.teatrolafenice.it
Buy tickets: Select Italy
The opera season at La Fenice now runs pretty much year-round—alongside orchestral concerts, ballets, and other performances.
You can buy tickets at the box office or ahead of time though Select Italy.
This fascinating account of the 1996 La Fenice fire and its aftermath is peopled, in typcial Berendt style, by quirky Venetian characters and packed with incisive insights about Venice and Venetian society. Well worth a read.
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This article was written by Reid Bramblett and was last updated in July 2013
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All information was accurate at the time.
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