Gran Teatro la Fenice, called simply, La Fenice, is the main theatre in Venice that supports opera. Like its sister venue, La Scala, in Milan, La Fenice is a landmark in the fabric of theater in Italy and opera the world over.
Originally opened in 1792, La Fenice seats 1126 patrons in its comfy seats and gilded balconies, as opera lovers zone in to their favourites, including (of course) Puccini, and the four original “bel canto” composers, Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini (after whom the cocktail is likely named; there were also an few artists with the same name).
But drama is not solely contained to the stage a La Fenice, which is suitably named; the English phrase is “the phoenix”, and it has risen from the ashes twice. In 1836 a fire ruined parts of the building, and it was resurrected. Then in 1996, in an act of arson, the building was gutted by fire and had to be redone top to bottom; the shell more or less survived intact. To celebrate its re-opening in 2003, the opera house has since then offered a special New Year’s concert annually on January 1st. What better way to enjoy Italian opera than in Italy at La Fenice!
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