Guided Tour: Discover La Fenice Theater

Overview

Built in 1792 in neoclassical style, Teatro La Fenice, designed by Giannantonio Selva, a friend of Canova, quickly stood out as one of the leading private theaters of its time, offering shows and operas. In December 1836, a major fire destroyed its interior, but, like the mythical bird from which it takes its name, the theater rose from the ashes just a year later.

In the 19th century, La Fenice hosted world premieres of numerous iconic operas, including Rossini’s “Tancredi,” “Sigismondo,” and “Semiramide,” Bellini’s “I Capuleti e i Montecchi” and “Beatrice di Tenda,” as well as Donizetti’s “Belisario,” “Pia de’ Tolomei,” and “Maria de Rudenz,” and Verdi’s “Ernani,” “Attila,” “Rigoletto,” “La traviata,” and “Simon Boccanegra.”

With a capacity for over a thousand people, Teatro La Fenice is renowned for its excellent acoustics, which were further improved after the second devastating fire in 1996. Currently, the theater has an orchestra of 98 members and a choir of 66, attracting a passionate local audience and international followers. Teatro La Fenice’s programming is vast and varied, offering more than a hundred opera performances annually.

Additionally, the theater presents a major symphonic season, led by renowned talents from around the world, and complete cycles of symphonies by composers such as Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, and Mahler. The contemporary repertoire is especially focused on Venetian artists like Nono and Maderna.

In addition to operas and symphonies, the theater also offers ballets and chamber music concerts, ensuring a rich and diverse cultural offering for all tastes. Taking a guided tour of Teatro La Fenice is to immerse yourself in the living history of opera and classical music, appreciating a cultural heritage that continues to inspire and enchant generations of music lovers.