Today we talk about Venice for the catastrophe of the recent flood, but one of the symbols of the city, the Teatro La Fenice, has a history also marked by fire. That of the 29 January 1996 it is the best known – many remember the images on the news – but not the oldest. The Phoenix went up in flames for the first time on December 13, 1836: exactly 183 years ago.
Probably caused by the malfunctioning of a stove, the fire was so serious that bring down the theater (only the atrium and the Apollinee rooms were saved). The reconstruction and restoration work began immediately after and lasted for years. The company that owns the structure entrusted the overall project to the brothers Tommaso and Giovan Battista Meduna, both engineers, while Tranquillo Orsi worked on the decoration of the ceiling and Giuseppe Borsato on that of the royal box.
Il 26 December 1837 the new Fenice was inaugurated complete with decorations with the world premiere of Rosmunda in Ravenna by Giuseppe Lillo.
Further restoration works followed, such as those of the 1937, and other structural interventions, such as those of the 1976. After the fire of 1996, the third life of the Phoenix began on December 14th 2003, when Riccardo Muti, live on television, directed the inaugural concert of the new structure.
