17^th June
Report by the Mayor to the Commission

The Mayor of Venice, Paolo Costa, Commissioner for the reconstruction of the Fenice Theatre, met today with the Commission established under art. 1 of Law Decree 310/96, converted with law 401/1996, to which he desired be given a formal report on the progress of the works, which had already been disclosed publicly by regular updates on the Internet website dedicated to the reconstruction of the theatre, and illustrated to the Commission by the procedure manager, Roberto Scibilia, and the works supervisor, Gianni Cagnin.

La Fenice to reopen on 14^th December

La Fenice is to reopen on the evening of Sunday 14^th December 2003, with a mass performed by the Theatre Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Riccardo Muti. The official date was announced by the Mayor of Venice, Paolo Costa, Commissioner for the Reconstruction of the theatre and Chairman of the La Fenice Foundation, at a conference held at the Veneto Institute for Science, Letters and the Arts. The inaugural performance will be attended by the Italian President, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

Launch of the new internet site

The seventh anniversary of the fire which destroyed La Fenice, prior to the reopening of the theatre “as and where it stood”, sees the launch of this internet site. The site provides constantly up-dated information on the progress of building work, helping satisfy the curiosity of all those - in Italy and beyond - who are anxiously awaiting the completion of this challenging project.

Anyone in Italy or around the world who is interested in the future and reconstruction of La Fenice Theatre will find this site full of up-to-date information on the progress of building work, with an in-depth history of the theatre and details of financial aspects, plus a description of Aldo Rossi's project complete with a full range of photographs.
The site also offers a history of the theatre from its origins to modern times, the call for tenders for reconstruction work, details of all rival projects and a host of other information and curiosities.
A date for the reopening of the theatre has now been set: 14th December 2003. By keeping track of the last exciting stages in the project through this site, you'll help us feel closer to you.


Paolo Costa
Commissioner for Reconstruction