VENICE Venice's La Fenice opera house was razed by fire, yesterday, a month before it was due to reopen after renovation. La Fenice, which means "phoenix" in Italian, opened in 1792. It was virtually destroyed by fire in 1836 but rose from the ashes and had become one of Italy's most important opera houses.
Yesterday's fire began around 9 p.m. and was still raging two hours later. Police said they had no immediate reports of injuries.
