CURTAIN CALL

Explore the legendary Fenice, one of Italy’s most refined and renowned opera theatres, on this unforgettable tour of Venice.

Designed by architect Giannantonio Selva in 1790 and inaugurated just two years later, La Fenice owes its name to the Phoenix, the mythological bird, symbol of immortality, that lives for hundreds of years before bursting into flames and is then reborn from the ashes, to start a new, long life. The theatre’s history is studded with successful debuts but also sadly marked by catastrophe and destruction. Twice in its three hundred year existence the theatre was burnt to the ground by devastating fires which occurred in 1836 and again in 1996. But, as they say, the name doesn’t lie and La Fenice rose from its ashes and can be admired today in all its magnificence. In its second 2003 reincarnation it is almost exactly as it was in the early 19th century. The theatre’s seats have accommodated famous celebrities, Napoleon included, and its stage has hosted world premieres of numerous operas by some of Italy’s greatest composers such as Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi. Your guide will lead you through the halls of La Fenice and draw back the curtain to reveal the secrets of the protagonists who starred in the theatre’s saison d’or.

Next, make your way across the exquisite tracery of waterways and fairy-tale bridges to St. Mark’s Square, once the heart of Venice’s political and religious life and today the main tourist attraction of this fabulous floating city. When you reach this wonderful piazza you will be standing in what Napoleon called “the finest salon in Europe” which does indeed appear to be a stunning hall of marble lined with remarkable historic buildings: the Basilica in all its Byzantine glory; the Renaissance clock tower proclaiming the city’s unrivalled wealth and prestige; the elegant arcades of the Procuratie; Sansovino’s ornate Loggetta; the Doge’s Palace, presiding regally over the Serenissima.

Located at the eastern end of the square, St. Mark’s Basilica was originally the doges’ personal place of worship. It was not until 1807, when it became the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, that this private chapel was converted into the city’s cathedral, and henceforth became a public marvel for all to enjoy. Step inside to hear how the construction of the building one thousand years ago was intricately bound up with a theft and the survivors of a storm at sea. The sight of the church’s magnificently decorated interior, with its marble inlays, columns, finely carved capitals and, above all, glimmering mosaics covering 8,000 square metres of vaults and domes will take your breath away.

Intriguing tales of scandal and conspiracies await you inside the Doge’s Palace, the former residence of the powerful Venetian rulers and a feat of Gothic architecture. The earliest nucleus of this impressive complex originated in the 14th century although what we can admire today is mostly the result of lavish and masterly reworkings carried out during the Renaissance and Mannerist epochs. Follow your guide through the splendid marble courtyard, up the gold-vaulted staircase, past the doges’ private apartments into the Hall of the Great Council. Here, you will gain a better understanding of the city’s political history and take a close look at the priceless works of art by local painters that embellish the walls. Inspired perhaps by the glitter of the golden mosaics in St. Mark’s Basilica and the shifting play of light on the canal waters, Venetian artists are known for their astonishing use of colour. An allegorical depiction of the Triumph of Venice by Veronese will draw your gaze to the ceiling while on the wall behind the doge’s throne you will see one of the widest canvas paintings in the world, the Paradise, created by Jacopo Tintoretto and his son Domenico between 1588 and 1592. To this duo we also owe the portraits of Venice’s first 76 doges represented on the frieze that runs beneath the ceiling. A macabre tale will explain why one of these paintings has been replaced with a black veil…