The 2017 Venice Biennale is off to an ambitious start. At the fair, you’ll find copies of Whitewaller Venice—out now to help guide you through the busy art fair and the bustling Italian city. Below, we’re sharing tips on where to go for relaxation and inspiration from the director of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Philip Rylands.
WHERE TO EAT AND SIP
At Taverna La Fenice, adjacent to Venice’s opera house, one can relax in a deep armchair during the day and dine superbly in a traditional setting. Osteria Ai Assassini is a former wine cellar of the noble Marcello family. The food is fresh and local, and the menu changes every night.
Philip Rylands.
Photo by David Heald.
Courtesy of Philip Rylands.
WHERE TO SEE ART
Titian’s huge Assumption in the Frari church, seen from the full length of the nave, becomes even larger when the middle distance is obscured by the choir screen. One of the most astounding art secrets in Venice is the 12th-century roundel of a Byzantine emperor, stolen in 1204 from Constantinople, isolated and lonely on a wall in the little Campiello Cà Angaran near the church of San Pantalon.
WHERE TO HAVE FUN AND RELAX
Spend an evening on the terrace of The Gritti Palace sipping a prosecco and gazing out across the Grand Canal to the Baroque splendor of S. Maria della Salute. The sense of well-being and luxury is unique.
Club del Doge Restaurant, Terrace. The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice. Courtesy of The Gritti Palace.
Be sure to pick up your copy of Whitewaller Venice, out now.
Advance of History by Mark Tobey.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, 1976.
Courtesy of Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
