Few buildings can have been so ill-fated as Venice's famous opera house, the Fenice. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the Fenice has thrice survived destruction, and remains one of the world's most prestigious operatic venues.
The forerunner of the Fenice, the San Benedetto Theatre, was destroyed by fire in 1774. Although rebuilt by its owners, the Veneri family, a massive financial contribution was demanded from the theatre's managers. They promptly abandoned the new building and constructed their own opera house on the banks of the Rio del Veste in the Campo San Fantin, barely 250 metres from the Piazza San Marco.
This new theatre was named the Fenice (Phoenix) because in spite of the
difficulties created by the Veneri family it had risen from the ashes of the
wrecked San Benedetto. The inaugural performance, Giovanni Paisiello's "I Giochi
di Agrigento，" was held in 1792.
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