The Opera – La Fenice
Opera is to Venice as the NFL is to the U.S. - a spectacle to see and a place to be seen.
Opera is to Venice as the NFL is to the U.S. - a spectacle to see and a place to be seen.
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/0/5/26055064/5263269.jpg?1390857113)
In the 18th century Venice had seven opera houses. La Fenice (Gran Teatro alla Fenice) was the largest and one of the most famous in Europe. In 1996 a fire (Arson? Probably, but by whom?) destroyed the interior. It was restored and re-opened in 2003. The interior is magnificent, but over the top for my tastes - but so is opera.
Proper dress required. Enjoy the show. Click on picture on the right. |
John Behrendt (the author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) has written a great book about the fire, and the politics of re-building La Fenice and assigning guilt - The City of Falling Angels. It is also a great portrait of the politics of Venice. One intriguing line from the book, spoken by a citizen of Venice: “Never believe anything a Venetian tells you.”
|