Rome Opera House holds special fund-raising performance of Swan Lake.

Rome's opera house, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, will raise funds for Teatro La Fenice, the Venice opera house damaged in the lagoon city's recent devastating floods.

Rome will hold an extra production of Swan Lake at 15.00 on 2 January, the proceeds of which will be donated entirely to Teatro La Fenice, an Italian landmark dating to 1792.

Management at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma said the funds raised would be a contribution to the restoration works required at La Fenice following the extraordinary phenomenon of the 'acqua alta'.

Rome's opera house described the initiative as a "sign of closeness and solidarity for the very difficult situation in which Teatro La Fenice found itself in the days immediately before the inauguration of its new season."