The Venice of Theater and Music

Venice has been a city of music since the Renaissance. At St. Mark’s Basilica, the innovative polychoral style, with choirs singing in alternation from different parts of the church, amazed European visitors. The basilica was home to great musicians such as Claudio Monteverdi and the Gabrieli family, pioneers of early Baroque sound.

In the 18th century, Venice experienced a kind of opera fever. Music filled public theatres, private palaces, and the Ospedali — religious institutions where orphaned girls were trained as musicians. Over time, the fame of these ensembles spread far beyond Venice, and music became central to the identity and economy of the institutions.

This tour begins in the small, elegant music room  of the Ospedaletto near San Giovanni e Paolo — normally closed to the public — which  once hosted girls’ choirs performing for the elite of Venetian society.

Not far away is the church of the Pietà. Here, the great Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi worked for many years as a teacher of stringed instruments. The church itself was conceived not only for religious services, but also as a concert venue. We’ll visit the cantorie, the elevated choir galleries (usually closed to visitors), from which the young women performed. These spaces also allow a close-up view of frescoes by Tiepolo.

We will then move to Venice’s beloved opera house, La Fenice. Although rebuilt after the fire of 1996, it still preserves the grandeur and atmosphere of 19th-century opera, offering a glimpse into the city’s long-standing passion for music.

And for those interested in popular theatre, Ca’ Goldoni houses a small but charming museum devoted to Commedia dell’Arte. With only two rooms, it offers a compact look at Venice’s theatrical traditions, including original masks, marionettes, and stage designs.