Opera concert in the Prisons Palace
Roughly an hour of sung arias and duets, a pianist alongside, in a hall next to the Doge's Palace; repertoire from Mozart into the 20th century; free cancellation until 24 hours before.
See dates ↗Why this room
Why hear opera in a prison palace
A room at the end of a famous bridge
From the Doge's Palace the Bridge of Sighs crosses the Rio di Palazzo and enters the New Prisons, a building put up in the late 16th and early 17th centuries to take prisoners out of the palace's crowded cells. The concert is held in that second building, the Prisons Palace, not in the Doge's Palace. The hall is stone and sits beside the palace, so the singers stand close enough for faces to carry.
Casanova's cell was across the bridge
The Piombi, the cells beneath the Doge's Palace roof, held Casanova, and on 1 November 1756 he broke out of them. The New Prisons that now host the concert were a different building, so the hall is not the room he fled. His name on the ticket nods to the story, and it is easier to enjoy once you know which prison is which.
Arias chosen to be recognised
The programme runs from Mozart to the 20th century, built from arias and duets with piano pieces between them. Works named for the concert include Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Puccini's La bohème, two Mozart operas and Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, whose famous barcarolle is set in a Venetian palace. Programmes vary, so treat that list as a guide to the style.
The works behind the arias
Six operas, an hour of arias
The concert is built from arias and duets, with piano pieces between them. These are the works named for it, each with the number audiences know best. Which numbers are sung on your date is up to the performers.
Different dates bring different singers and different numbers, so treat this as a map of the repertoire rather than a set list.
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Rossini · 1816
The Barber of Seville
Rossini's comic opera first played in Rome. Figaro's patter song, "Largo al factotum della città", is the number everyone knows.
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Mozart · 1786
The Marriage of Figaro
Mozart's opera opened at Vienna's Burgtheater on 1 May 1786. Cherubino's song "Voi che sapete" is among its best-loved arias.
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Mozart · 1787
Don Giovanni
Premiered in Prague on 29 October 1787. Leporello's catalogue aria, "Madamina, il catalogo è questo", is the comic showpiece.
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Puccini · 1896
La bohème
Premiered in Turin on 1 February 1896. Rodolfo's aria "Che gelida manina" is its best-known tenor number.
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Offenbach · 1881
The Tales of Hoffmann
First performed in public at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 10 February 1881. Its barcarolle opens an act set in a Venetian palace.
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Lehár · 1905
The Merry Widow
An operetta that premiered in Vienna in 1905. The Vilja Song and the waltz "Lippen schweigen" are its standards.
The building
The Prisons Palace in four facts
The concert hall is inside the New Prisons, the building opposite the Doge's Palace. These four facts come from the palace museum and encyclopaedic sources on the two buildings.
- Across the Rio di Palazzo
- The Prisons Palace stands across a narrow canal from the Doge's Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs joins the two. The bridge is built of white Istrian limestone in the early 17th century.
- Built to replace the old cells
- After the gaols inside the Doge's Palace became too small, the Republic planned a new prison with larger, lighter and airier cells. The museum says it was possibly one of Europe's first purpose-built state prisons.
- One grand front
- The architect Antonio da Ponte designed the south front to the Riva degli Schiavoni and the lagoon, the only elaborate wall of a building that is otherwise bare of decoration.
- The sighs are a later story
- The name Bridge of Sighs dates from the Romantic period and the English form is credited to Lord Byron. In the Republic's time the bridge had no such name.
The prisons in pictures
The prisons in pictures
The Prisons Palace from the lagoon, the Bridge of Sighs, the canal between the two buildings, the inner courtyard and the stone front on the Riva degli Schiavoni.
Venice concerts to compare
Three concerts to compare in Venice
| Concert | What it offers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Opera concert in the Prisons Palace | Roughly an hour of sung arias and duets, a pianist alongside, in a hall next to the Doge's Palace; repertoire from Mozart into the 20th century; free cancellation until 24 hours before. | Listeners who want voices, humour and a building with a story. |
| Baroque concert by Interpreti Veneziani | About an hour and a half of baroque music by an ensemble, with Vivaldi, Bach and Handel named among the composers, in a 15th-century palace, with an option to buy a CD. | Listeners who prefer strings and a longer programme to singing. |
| Vivaldi's Four Seasons by I Musici Veneziani | About 75 minutes of the Four Seasons violin concertos played by an orchestra in period costume. | Anyone who wants one famous work played live. |
Three ways to hear music in Venice
Book a concert in Venice
The first card opens the opera concert in the Prisons Palace. The other two are baroque concerts by different ensembles, for listeners who would rather hear strings than voices. The strip below lists more Venice bookings.
Baroque concert by Interpreti Veneziani
About an hour and a half of baroque music by an ensemble, with Vivaldi, Bach and Handel named among the composers, in a 15th-century palace, with an option to buy a CD.
See dates ↗Vivaldi's Four Seasons by I Musici Veneziani
About 75 minutes of the Four Seasons violin concertos played by an orchestra in period costume.
See dates ↗More to book in Venice
Finding the door
Finding the door and planning the hour
Which entrance
The concert meets at the Prisons Palace, not at the Doge's Palace entrance. Cross the bridge to the right of the Doge's Palace entrance and go in by the Prisons Palace's main entrance.
The Information Point
Inside, go to the Information Point on the right-hand side, where staff check your voucher and give further instructions.
Arriving
Arrive at the meeting point 10 minutes before the start. The time for your booked date is in your confirmation.
What to wear
Comfortable shoes are suggested. Guests describe the small room as warm, so layers that come off work better than a heavy coat.
Access
The concert is not fully wheelchair accessible and may be difficult for people with walking difficulties, and the ticket is marked as not suitable for wheelchair users.
A shared concert
The ticket is for a shared concert, not a private one, and pets are not allowed.
The prisons, the bridge and the music: guides
The prisons, the bridge and the music: guides
Which ticket, and how to book Venice prisons opera: booking
How to book the Casanova Prisons opera concert in Venice: what the ticket covers, which entrance to use, what is sung and who it suits.
Read the guide → Casanova, the Piombi and the bridge Casanova's prison in Venice
Which prison held Casanova, how he escaped in 1756, and how the Bridge of Sighs and the New Prisons fit the picture: a sourced guide to Venice's prisons.
Read the guide →FAQ
Before you book the concert
How long is the opera concert?
About an hour, with a start time listed against each date.
Where is the concert held?
In the Prisons Palace, the building beside the Doge's Palace near St Mark's Square. Cross the bridge to the right of the Doge's Palace entrance and go in by the Prisons Palace's main entrance.
Is this the prison Casanova escaped from?
No. Casanova escaped from the Piombi, the cells under the roof of the Doge's Palace, on 1 November 1756. The Prisons Palace is a separate building across the canal.
Does the ticket include the Doge's Palace?
The concert meets at the Prisons Palace, not at the Doge's Palace entrance. Read your option's inclusions on the booking page before assuming anything beyond the concert; this site does not sell museum admission.
What will be sung?
Arias and duets with piano, from Mozart to the 20th century. Works named for the concert include The Barber of Seville, La bohème, Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, The Tales of Hoffmann and The Merry Widow, and the exact pieces vary.
Can wheelchair users attend?
No. The ticket lists wheelchair users as unsuited, and walking difficulties may make the concert hard going.
What should I wear?
Comfortable shoes, and layers. Guests describe the small room as warm.
Can I cancel?
Yes. A cancellation made more than a day ahead is refunded in full, and booking a date takes no payment up front. These are GetYourGuide's terms.
About an hour of opera arias and duets with a pianist in Venice's Prisons Palace, free to cancel up to 24 hours ahead.
Reserve seats for the concert ↗The fare shown is a per-adult from-price in US dollars, which checkout restates in the currency you choose.