21st Anniversary of Teatro La Fenice Fire in Venice

Fire at Teatro La Fenice

(Venice, Italy) Teatro La Fenice, Venice's opera house, was destroyed by fire twenty-one years ago, on January 29, 1996, a case of arson. Like the mythical bird, the beloved theater rose from the ashes more splendid than before, once again filling Venice with music and wonder.

Teatro La Fenice

The ancient Greek myth of the phoenix is present in many cultures, from Native American to Russian, Japanese, Arabian, Egyptian and Chinese. It was a symbol in early Christianity. The phoenix reminds us that out of destruction comes rebirth and resurrection, and that the end is a new beginning.

A few years ago, I took a photo of a bird in the Venice lagoon striking a "La Fenice" pose, almost like it was auditioning to be the poster bird of Venice, which I will share with you again.

Venice Lagoon Bird Strikes "La Fenice" Pose

Venice lagoon bird strikes La Fenice pose - Photo: Cat Bauer

(Venice, Italy) In the early morning hours, this bird in the Venice lagoon struck a "La Fenice" pose.

As we all know, La Fenice means, "the Phoenix," the bird that is eternally reborn, that burns and then rises from the ashes. The phoenix is a royal bird, associated with the sun.

The name of the opera house here in Venice is called "La Fenice," one of the most famous opera houses in Europe. It has burned and risen from the ashes more times than we can count.

 

The phoenix is one of my favorite symbols. They say it is a mythical bird, but I like to imagine that it's real. 

Ciao from Venezia,

Cat Bauer

Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog