John Berendt arrived in Febuary 1996 for a prolonged spell in the city that had captivated him on his first visit. His intention was simply to see it without the obscuring overlay of tourists, but quickly realized that his arrival had coincided with an extraordinay moment. Using the fire that destroyed the Fenice Theatre as his starting point, Berendt takes us on a unique tour of the ciy and it inhabitants. -- inside cover.