2003 opening for La Fenice

Venice’s legendary La Fenice opera house, which burned down in 1996, will rise from the ashes at the end of 2003 after repeated rebuilding delays, the city’s mayor said Monday. The curtain will rise at La Fenice -- Phoenix in English -- on Dec. 14, 2003, with a program of concerts and a ballet, Paolo Costa said. The first opera, to be performed in autumn 2004, will be Giuseppe Verdi’s “La Traviata.”

Many critics remain skeptical about the timetable, given the numerous snags that have slowed restoration. It was initially scheduled to reopen in 1999. But after repeated delays, city officials canceled the restoration plan drawn up by a German company and handed the project to Italian firms.