The Teatro La Fenice ranks among Italy's finest and most prominent stages, right up there with Milan’s La Scala, when it comes to its place in the history of music. The idea was first proposed in 1789, when Venice invited architects to submit their projects for a theatre 'most pleasing to the eye and the ear of spectators'. Work started the following year and was completed exceptionally quickly by 1792, even though there were swathes of critics complaining about the cost and the fact that other buildings had to be demolished to make place for the theatre. The final result, however, was spectacular and boasted extraordinary acoustics. Through the years, La Fenice has hosted a series of premieres for such important and unparalleled works of opera as Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata and Rigoletto, as well as Ruggero Leoncavallo’s La Bohème.