venice

A post from the Real Estalker reminded me that while we learned back in May that Anjelica Huston had listed her Venice, California home we never gave it full estate of the day treatment. That's a shame, it's a lovely home. The talented actress is the widow of sculptor Robert Graham and he built the home for them. Listing pictures show many of Graham's sculptures in the home.

The compound bears a little bit of a resemblance to Dennis Hopper's home, especially in the layout which combines includes both a three-bedroom home and the multi-level "Artist in Residence" building which has gallery space, office space and communal space. The home and studio share a courtyard and there is also a pool and Jacuzzi.

The home has an open living/dining room, a basement game room, multiple balconies and French doors. The listing states that it is a melding of French, Mediterranean and Bauhaus architectural styles. The property is listed at $18 million where it has sat since May. This one might need a bit of a price cut in order to sell.

Last month, Miu Miu, the more playful side of the Prada empire, opened a new store in Venice, Italy. The store is in Venice's Salizada San Moise area and sell ready-to-wear clothing, bags and accessories. Architect Roberto Baciocchi created a space with a glass display window facing the street and combined modern elements with the original features of the palazzo. The same inlaid floor joins the three separate spaces for different wares. In the ready-to-wear area shown above the original wood, stucco and plaster ceiling has been kept and restored. Two more images of the store are after the jump.

Francois Pinault is a man justifiably envied by many. With a fortune of $8.7 billion the high-school dropout-turned luxury goods titan is the majority shareholder of PPR, whose brands include Gucci, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta. He also owns famed auction house Christie's and the renowned Chateau Latour winery. His amazing contemporary art collection, worth an estimated $1.4 billion, encompasses 2,000-plus works by over 80 artists including Jeff Koons, Richard Prince, Takashi Murakami and Damien Hirst. Much of it is now housed as his two incredible private museums in Venice, the Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana. Both historic buildings were transformed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando and are the subject of a smashing new book from Skira Rizzoli.

Tadao Ando: Venice - The Pinault Collection at the Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana shows how Ando's designs seamlessly blend history and innovation while adhering to the strict laws governing the preservation of historic buildings in Venice. At the Palazzo Grassi, prominently located on the Grand Canal, Ando's quiet but expert renovation of the eighteenth-century rooms makes a perfect backdrop for Jeff Koons' eye-popping balloon sculptures. At the Punta della Dogana (shown on the cover above), the Venetian Republic's original customs warehouse, the large-scale space was subtly subdivided into refined rooms for installation art. The "dialogue – that is collision and friction – between the new and the old," Ando states, "is the driving force in creating a city's future."

In little more than a century, the Orient Express has become perhaps the most celebrated train ever to grace a set of tracks, earning top billing in Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express and films inspired by the book. It's no surprise, then, that the latest incarnation---the Venice-Simplon Orient Express---has earned a Luxist Awards' nominee in the Best International Summer Vacation category.

The first direct Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul rattled down the tracks in 1889 after years of earlier editions dominated by treacherous transfers in the middle of the route. Bookended by two world wars, the roaring 1920s and 1930s saw the Express ferrying hordes of Europe's most glamorous citizens across the continent. But the middle of the century brought many changes in the world of transportation, and by the dawn of the new millennium, old-fashioned cars had been largely replaced by high-speed trains like the TGV.

Thanks to the privately-operated Venice-Simplon Orient Express, however, the tradition continues. Only one such train runs from Paris to Istanbul per year, but the itinerary is well worth the wait. Start in the City of Lights and watch as the French countryside fades away in the twilight. You'll wake up in Hungary, disembarking for an overnight stay in Budapest and a tour of the city the following day. As the train chugs east, you'll spend another night onboard before another urban jaunt, this time to Bucharest. City turns to countryside as you traverse Bulgaria, terminating in Istanbul.

The six-night trip offers ample time to enjoy the luxurious amenities of the Orient Express---champagne poured by white-gloved hands, opulently appointed cabins-while taking in the sights and sounds of Europe. Rooms range from $4,680 to $14,290, based on double occupancy. And unlike the original Orient Express, this one doesn't require any uncomfortable transfers via horse-drawn carriage.

Vote for the International Summer Vacation destination that you think is the best of breed. The winner will be announced on September 1st.

The late Dennis Hopper's art collection is headed to Christie's this fall and the place that housed it, his compound in Venice, California is about to hit the market. Coldwell Banker Previews International has announced that Dennis Hopper's home will hit the market at $6.245 million. The property is located in Venice's popular Abbot Kinney area and features an "Art Barn" and three loft-style townhouses created by architect Frank Gehry, as well as a main residence designed by Brian A. Murphy.

Hopper was an artist and photographer himself and his work is currently on display in a comprehensive exhibit at the Los Angeles MOCA. His home served as the center of his artistic output and the property was host to some of the top celebrities as well as important artists like Jasper Johns and Roy Lichtenstein, many of whom also feature in Hopper's collection.

The main house is constructed of corrugated steel, and the three townhouses are all open, loft-style spaces. The property includes the original bungalow-style cottage which was built in 1909. Overall the compound extends to over 15,550 square feet of living space. The double provenance of this being both an actor's home and a home designed by the world's preeminent starchitect makes this a highly desirable home. The property is a joint listing by Jade Mills and Jane Gavens, both with Coldwell Banker Previews International of Beverly Hills. The entire property can be bought for $6.245 million or the main residence, bungalow, lap pool and pool house are available as one listing for $3.595 million with the three townhouses being sold separately at prices ranging from $750,000 - $1,050,000.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, whom as we noted earlier this year recently spent several months with their children in Venice, Italy (above) while Jolie filmed her new movie The Tourist, have reportedly just purchased a $40 million villa nearby in Verona. The massive Palladian-style estate in the hills of Valpolicella has about 18,000-sq.-ft. of luxury living space divided into 15 rooms with seven baths, Sky Italia reports. The couple supposedly bought the mansion after looking at two other less expensive properties in the area, one priced at $13 million and the other $10 million. "They wanted something more exclusive and in record time to spend the summer vacation in Italy," Alexander Proto of Alexander Proto Consulting, the Swiss property firm favored by celebs, is quoted as saying. In addition to immense size, the very private villa on landscaped grounds is equipped with a home cinema, gym, two swimming pools – one indoor and one outdoor, both with waterfalls – Jacuzzi tubs and acres of Carrara marble.

Famed French cognac maker Hennessy, the world's oldest cognac house, has unveiled a $23,000 limited edition XO Mathusalem bottling in a bespoke leather trunk by famed shoemaker Berluti. The two luxe brands, both part of the LVMH luxury goods empire, teamed up to create the ultimate cognac experience; only 150 pieces will be made most of which will be sold in Asia and Russia. The XO Mathusalem comes in a six liter (1.6 gallon) hand-blown crystal decanter, originally designed for Hennessy by the Marquis de Geoffre in 1947 for Hennessy; each bottle has its edition number engraved upon it. Designed by Olga Berluti (the fourth generation of the Berluti family) every Hennessy Mathusalem by Berluti chest is signed by her. She based her design for the chest on a 400-year-old salt box she had inherited from her parents – a Venetian tradition whereby such boxes are presented to newlyweds who toss the salt over their shoulders for luck.

Etched with engravings and ancient maps, as a symbol of the treasured cognac contained within, the handmade chest features a crocodile-motif clasp and is designed to store a collection of watches or other precious objects and be handed down as an heirloom. "We wanted to create something that will remain beyond the sharing of the cognac," Hennessy chairman and CEO Bernard Peillon said at the chest's recent unveiling in China. "The chest and cognac become something very personal. Once you finish the bottle, you can keep the memory of it. Olga wanted to create something special that tells the story of her growing up in Venice and her family building gondolas. You can say it's a work of art. We like the poetry of it and the romanticism in Berluti's personal story." Each chest takes 70 hours to build and inside each one is a catenella, a wooden element found in Venetian gondolas upon which is carved the gondolier's initials and the boatyard's hallmark. A certificate of ownership accompanies each trunk as well.

Artist Louise Bourgeois died last month at the age of 98 but her unique legacy lives on in Venice, where an exhibition in the Magazzino del Sale planned before her death opened June 5. Bourgeois was working in her studio home until the end and the exhibit "Louise Bourgeois. The Fabric Works" will be the last show of her work that she was actively involved in.

The exhibit was curated by Germano Celant in collaboration with Jerry Gorovoy of the Louise Bourgeois Studio, New York. The works are montages, collages and assemblages of pieces of her own clothes and linen and one of her famous large steel sculptures Crouching Spider, 2003, presides over exhibition in Venice. Pieces include her Fabric Drawings created between 2002 and 2008. Check out a few images from the exhibit at the Fondazione Vedova website

[via Art Daily]

As a 21st-generation winemaker whose family has made prosecco in the hills of Valddobiadene in Italy's Veneto region for centuries, Gianluca Bisol has a deep appreciation for the area's rich culture and history. So it is with great pride that Bisol this weekend unveils a new restaurant and hospitality center that reclaim a bit of Venice's forgotten past.

The estate, called Tenuta Venissa, is located on the island of Mazzorbo and includes a restaurant (pictured above) helmed by a renowned chef, an inn and a restored walled vineyard where an ancient grape variety that was nearly extinct has been replanted and will soon be bottled.

Mazzorbo, part of the archipelago of islands off of Venice, was once an important trading center. In recent times, it has languished quietly as a home to fishermen, abandoned vineyards and the occasional day-tripping tourist visiting Burano, an island famous for its lacework and colored houses (Philippe Starck apparently owns three) that is connected to Mazzorbo by footbridge. (Murano, the island renowned for its glass, is a short boat ride away).

Bisol hopes to transform the island into a tourist-worthy destination and research center dedicated to exploring the region's indigenous grapes and cuisine. "I have always been fascinated with the food and wine history of the lagoon," says Bisol, a genial Italian with a broad smile.

It's easy to feel drab in Venice, with all that iconic golden light bathing the colors of sunset all day, from the faded ruddy watercolor buildings, to the chalky green canal water, to the blue and white striped shirt gondoliers.

Plus, if you get the urge to spruce up a bit, the shopping isn't entirely inspiring -- the shops seem to be either ubiquitous internationally available boutiques or in the business of peddling tourist tchochkes.

A solution: Attombri.

Okay, so this jewelry shop, run by two brothers, has received international recognition -- see Dolce & Gabbana, Vogue, etc. -- but their materials are entirely Venetian. The brothers purchased heaps of antique Murano glass beads, my understanding is that they were procured from a glass company going out of business. They do all their work by hand, and the pieces tend to play the shine of the glass off of intricately twisted metal. Their pieces some how retain the feeling of the antique that pervades Venice, but with the aid of the occasional asymmetrical line and a fine editing eye, still look contemporary. (See the gallery below.)

I arrived at their studio/gallery in Campo San Maurizio, which is in the San Marco area, in the early afternoon. (That's the door of their shop above, reflecting the square.) But the door was locked, and a handwritten note was affixed: out to lunch for a few hours. Only a small set back; I'd already been in Venice for a few days at this point, I'd become accustomed to two things: getting lost and changing my plans.

Brad Pitt was just spotted sporting a pair of the exclusive new Dolce & Gabbana Gold Edition sunglasses we wrote about in December while strolling the streets of Venice with Angelina Jolie. The couple and their six children are moving to the storied Italian city for three months while Jolie films her new movie The Tourist. Adding the perfect dash of movie star chic, the Gold Edition aviator-style shades are plated in pure 18-carat gold. Priced at $580 per pair and made in Italy, the sunglasses feature polarized glass and each pair is presented in its own jewelry case featuring a plaque with the words "Dolce &Gabbana Gold Edition" and two tiny side drawers to hold a cleaning cloth and certificate of authenticity. Inside there is a semi-rigid glasses case in black leather, decorated with a tiny plaque and logo. The Gold Edition models are available at ILORI Luxury Sunglass boutiques.

There's no better place to stay in Venice, Italy than the Hotel Cipriani, a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award for Best City Hotel.

A magical place set in lush, manicured gardens at the end of the Giudecca Island, the hotel is accessible by a short (four minute) boat ride from St. Mark's Square (30 minute boat trip from the Marco Polo Airport). The hotel's own private boat "Shirley", a beautiful wooden boat is available upon request to take you to magnificent islands in the lagoon including Murano, Burano and Torcello. As Venice is a city made up of more than 100 islands, there's no better way to explore it than by boat.

The history of the Hotel Cipriani dates back to 1956 when Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of the unique Venetian establishment Harry's Bar, decided to build a hotel within easy reach of St. Mark's Square and yet far enough away to ensure peace and privacy. A joint company was formed and an ideally located three-acre plot on the tip of the Giudecca Island, just five minutes by boat from St. Mark's Square, was purchased.

In 1958, the hotel opened its doors and enjoyed instant acclaim for its relaxed atmosphere, attentive service and simple, but superbly prepared food which have become its trademark. In 1968 some adjoining land was purchased and a magnificent Olympic-size 600 square meter swimming pool was built. This filtered salt-water pool is the largest in Venice, and is considered one of the finest in Europe to this day.

The Hotel Cipriani was sold in 1976 to Sea Containers, whose President and founder of Orient-Express, James B. Sherwood, was already a regular guest. Over the years more land and adjacent buildings were purchased to create space for new restaurants, guestrooms and facilities.

Today, the hotel's amenities includes a private red clay tennis court located amidst the beautiful Venetian garden of the hotel. The fitness center is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment (including the revolutionary Proellixe Vibration machine) and overlooks flowered patios and gardens. Personal trainers are available upon request. Guests are given preferred entry to the only 18-hole course in Venice, which was created more than 70 years ago. Considered to be one of the most prestigious courses in Italy, the Circolo Golf Venezia club is located on the south part of Lido island in the Alberoni area.

Hotel Cipriani is known for pampering its guests in a very personalized way. Guests may receive Italian champagne, seasonal fruits or a personal guidebook of Venice as a gift. The hotel manager or another high-ranking member of the staff try to meet each guest at arrival, offering sweets and toys and a Kids' Club with English-speaking staff if traveling with children. The hotel is also known for customizing a guests visit, if they are aware of any needs or requests in advance. Fresh fruits are served to guests every afternoon by the pool and a beautiful private library is also available for guest use.

The hotels' newly (and partly) refurbished 82 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites have views over the open lagoon and the gardens. The hotel's Palazzo Vendramin, a 15th century palace linked to the hotel through an ancient courtyard, offers 16 suites and rooms (some with stunning views of St. Mark Square), in addition to a private butler service. Nightly room rates (including breakfast) start at 550 euros for a single room; doubles start at 900 euros while suites start at 2,420 euros.

Vote now for what you believe is the best of breed for each of the Winter Travel categories. Readers' Choice Awards for the Best in Winter Travel will be announced on January 31st.

For the rates Venetian gondoliers charge you might expect a massage and a 3-course meal during your cruise of the canals. With the introduction of the Voga Voyage at Loews Coronado Bay Resort Gondola Company, you can at least check the massage off the list.

Your vessel for the journey among the Coronado Cays will be a softly wrapped, sun-warmed massage table. In turn, that table will ride upon an authentic 33-foot gondola that launches from the resort's private marina and then embarks on an hour-long cruise of Mediterranean-like waterways. Forty minutes of that will be occupied by masseurs tending to your physical needs, which includes the laying on of sunscreen before the more serious application of massaging hands. The last ten minutes of the trip will be given to sight-seeing, if you're in any mood for that, while you and your chère company feast on the gondola's supply of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries.

Booking the $499 Voga Voyage also gets you a free night at the resort and its amenities, spread out on a secluded, 15-acre peninsula. And having saved on airfare to the Italian province, you just might have enough left over for the 3-course meal. It's certainly not what Iago meant when he mentioned "creating the beast with two backs," but this ride has a far less drama and a much happier ending...

Cars and Venice don't mix. More than any other, it's the one city on this planet in which a car will get you absolutely nowhere. Lancia thinks it has the solution, though. The Italian automaker shares its name with the motorized runabouts that serve Venetians with their transportation needs, and has launched a launch of its own this weekend at the film festival there which it sponsors. Called the Lancia di Lancia, we brought you initial news of the vessel's development a few weeks ago, but now the full details along with some truly breathtaking photos have been released to correspond with the festival and the boat's release.

While most inflatable boats are small, the Lancia is anything but. It's over 40 feet long, weighs eight and a half tons and packs two 560-horsepower 6.7-liter common-rail turbo diesel engines. It's capable of transporting 11 passengers in unsurpassed elegance and speed, with teak decks, a retractable roof, plenty of sun decks and even accommodations for two below decks. Have a look in the gallery below.

What's the matter, was 1050 horsepower not enough for your taste? Then feast your eyes on this: the Lancia di Lancia. Although powered by two six-cylinder turbo diesels instead of the Powershore Abarth SP's three V8 outboards, the Lancia powerboat produced by the same collaboration with SACS Marine responsible for sister-company Abarth's speedboat offers up 1120 horsepower to the Abarth's 1050.

The motor launch from Lancia, as it's called, is also wrapped in a sleeker package, with inboard engines and a covered cockpit accessible through the retractable windshield and Martini Racing stripes recalling the company's historic rally victories. Like its sister-ship, however, the Lancia di Lancia is a Rigid Inflatable Boat – basically a hard hull with a rubber tube around it. The vessel measures over 40 feet long, weighs 8.5 metric tons and can reach speeds in excess of 55 miles per hour. The Lancia di Lancia is scheduled to debut during the upcoming 66th International Film Festival in Venice at the Grand Hotel Excelsior next month.