# Teatro La Fenice, Venice > La Fenice is Venice's opera house and one of Italy's most famous, opened in 1792; Verdi premiered Rigoletto and La traviata here. By day you can explore it with an audio guide — the gilded auditorium, the royal box, the foyers — and by night catch an opera or concert. The tour is paid and takes about 45 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/la-fenice - City: [Venice](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice), Italy - YesGo score: 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - Entry: Paid - Opening hours: Tours by day when there are no rehearsals; performances in the evening - With kids: Fine with kids - Tour: Paid, audio-guided, by day - Performances: Tickets at teatrolafenice.it - Highlights: Gilded hall, royal box, foyers - Tiers: Stalls plus five tiers of boxes and galleries - Time needed: About 45 minutes for the tour - Vaporetto: Santa Maria del Giglio, 5 minutes - Coordinates: 45.43370, 12.33390 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1792** — opened, designed by Giannantonio Selva (source: English Wikipedia) - **"Phoenix"** — a name of rebirth — the theatre was rebuilt twice (source: English Wikipedia) - **1851** — premiere of Verdi's Rigoletto (source: English Wikipedia) - **1853** — premiere of Verdi's La traviata (source: English Wikipedia) - **2003** — reopened after restoration (source: English Wikipedia) ## A short history La Fenice opened in **1792** on quiet **Campo San Fantin**, designed by **Giannantonio Selva** for a society of wealthy Venetians. Its name — **"the Phoenix"** — marked a rebirth after the society's previous theatre burned, and proved prophetic: La Fenice itself was rebuilt after fires, reopening in 1837 and again in **2003**, recreated from old plans and photographs. In the 19th century it was one of Italy's leading opera stages, premiering works by **Rossini** and **Bellini**, while **Verdi** wrote Ernani, **Rigoletto** (1851), **La traviata** (1853) and Simon Boccanegra for it. The 20th century brought premieres of Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress and Britten's The Turn of the Screw. ## The auditorium The neoclassical façade on the square is restrained, but inside is a jewel box: a horseshoe **auditorium** whose stalls are ringed by **five tiers** of gilded, painted boxes and galleries, with the **royal box** at the centre beneath a painted ceiling and chandelier. Before the hall come the elegant **Sale Apollinee** foyers. With around a thousand seats it's intimate, with fine sightlines and acoustics. ## What to see - **The auditorium** — five tiers of gilded boxes. - **The royal box** — at the centre. - **Sale Apollinee** — the grand foyers. - **The façade** — neoclassical columns on Campo San Fantin. - **A performance** — opera, ballet or a concert. - **New Year's Concert** — 1 January, broadcast across Italy. ## The visit and the New Year's Concert The daytime visit starts in the foyers with a multilingual audio guide, then takes you into the **boxes** and **stalls** when there's no rehearsal — the view from the **royal box** is superb — telling the story of the fires, the rebuilding and Verdi's premieres. Sometimes sets are being built or the orchestra is rehearsing, closing part of the route but offering a glimpse backstage. Every **1 January** the theatre stages a televised **New Year's Concert** of arias and choruses, ending with the drinking song from La traviata; tickets are among the most sought-after of the year. > **Getting opera tickets** Tickets are sold at teatrolafenice.it and the city's Vela ticket offices. The cheapest seats are in the upper tiers and boxes with restricted views. Dress smartly in the evening — shorts aren't allowed. Daytime audio-guide tickets are usually bought at the door or online on the day. ## How to get there 1. Vaporetto 1 to **Santa Maria del Giglio**, 5 minutes on foot. 2. From [Piazza San Marco](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/piazza-san-marco), 7 minutes following "Teatro La Fenice" signs. 3. From the [Accademia Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/accademia-bridge), 7 minutes' walk. 4. From the [Rialto Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/rialto-bridge), 10 minutes' walk. ## Is La Fenice worth it? Yes. For opera lovers, an evening where Verdi first staged La traviata is the highlight of Venice. For everyone else, the 45-minute audio-guided visit shows one of the world's most beautiful auditoriums and tells its story. It's 7 minutes from San Marco, easy to fit into any day. With children, choose the daytime visit or a short concert instead — full operas often run three hours or more, with long intervals. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Check the programme online - [ ] Book a tour or performance - [ ] Dress up for the evening - [ ] Find the royal box - [ ] Stroll on to San Marco ## Venice's museums: compare and choose Museums and galleries in Venice rated by YesGo. - [Doge's Palace](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/doges-palace) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Paid - [La Fenice](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/la-fenice) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Paid - [Murano](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/murano) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free; museum paid - [Peggy Guggenheim Collection](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/peggy-guggenheim) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Paid - [Ca' d'Oro](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/ca-d-oro) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Paid - [Gallerie dell'Accademia](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/gallerie-accademia) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Paid - [Scuola Grande di San Rocco](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/scuola-san-rocco) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Paid ## San Marco and La Fenice Piazza San Marco, La Fenice, the Accademia Bridge and the Gallerie dell'Accademia. 1. [Piazza San Marco](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/piazza-san-marco) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free 2. [La Fenice](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/la-fenice) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Paid 3. [Accademia Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/accademia-bridge) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free 4. [Gallerie dell'Accademia](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/gallerie-accademia) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Paid ## Don't mix it up La Fenice isn't Milan's La Scala or Naples' San Carlo, though all three are Italy's most famous opera houses. Venice also has the Teatro Goldoni, a drama theatre. ## Tips - Audio-guided visit by day. - Dress up in the evening. - Upper tiers are cheaper. - 7 minutes from San Marco. ## Questions ### Can you visit La Fenice without a show? Yes, daytime audio-guided visits run when there are no rehearsals. ### Where do I buy La Fenice tickets? At teatrolafenice.it and the city's ticket offices. ### Which operas premiered at La Fenice? Verdi's Rigoletto, La traviata and Simon Boccanegra, plus works by Rossini and Bellini. ### Why is it called the Phoenix? A name of rebirth — the theatre has been rebuilt twice, most recently by 2003. ### Is there a dress code? Smart dress in the evening; shorts and sportswear aren't allowed. ## How we checked History, auditorium and premieres from English Wikipedia. Tour prices and hours weren't confirmed — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia, La Fenice - Official theatre site teatrolafenice.it --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.