Did You Know?

Did you know that Venice is home to the world's oldest operating casino? The Casino di Venezia, located in the Palazzo Vendramin-Calergi, opened in 1638 and continues to welcome visitors to try their luck at various games of chance in a historic setting.

Did you know that Venice has over 400 footbridges? These bridges play a crucial role in connecting different parts of the city, spanning the canals and allowing pedestrians to move around. The most famous and iconic bridge in Venice is the Rialto Bridge, which dates back to the late 16th century.

Venice, Italy is built on more than 100 small islands and has over 400 bridges connecting them all together. The city has no roads, only canals and footpaths.

Did you know that Venice experiences an annual phenomenon called "Acqua Alta"? During certain times of the year, particularly in winter, high tides cause flooding in some parts of the city. Wooden walkways, known as "pontoon" bridges, are temporarily set up to allow pedestrians to navigate through the flooded areas.

Did you know that Venice is known as the "Floating City" or "City of Water"? This nickname is due to the absence of roads and cars within the historic center of Venice. Instead, transportation is primarily conducted by boats and water taxis, making it a truly distinctive and charming city to explore.

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Teatro La Fenice: The Resurrected Jewel Of Venice's Operatic History

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!