On Monday evening chi chi lifestyle publisher Assouline held a party for Venetian Chic by Francesca Bortolotto Possati at their boutique in the Plaza Hotel. The party was so packed with stylish well wishers it seemed as if everyone staying at the hotel (and at the Carlyle, the Mandarin Oriental, and the Plaza Athenee, as well) turned up to congratulate the author. Of course, the guest list was highly curated (e.g., Massimo Ferragamo, photographer Priscilla Rattazzi), but still, the five-star turnout was quite a coup considering the dozen or so parties being held each night during Christmas season. Bortlolatto Possati, an art maven and interior designer, is also CEO of the Bauer Hotel Group in Venice, and knows tout le monde, one of the reasons it was elbow-to-elbow throughout the evening. Around 7 PM Academy (and Tony and Emmy) Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons, who wrote the book’s foreword, appeared and the crowd swooned. “Venice has welcomed me on a few fine occasions and left me with a multitude of plangent memories,” Irons says in his piece. “Listening to the oh-so-limited repertoire of the gondolier. Discovering the hidden life and the hidden palazzos and churches. Reveling in this ancient place that refuses to change.“
Possati’s book is a must for anyone who loves Venice, or is contemplating traveling to the city. We all know the city is teaming with tourists in the warm-weather months (they often outnumber residents), but for those who want an authentic experience, there’s no better person than Bortolotto Possati to unlock the city’s best addresses. She takes readers to artists’ studios, hidden gardens, insider restaurants, markets, artisan shops,and palazzi owned by old Venetian families, giving an exclusive glimpse of a private Venice few people know. The book will be available in February 2017, just in time for planning a summer holiday.
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