Moonlight in Venice.

Supporters of Venetian Heritage, an organization dedicated to the preservation of Venetian art and architecture, gathered in Venice June 3-6 for its Biennale gala weekend. Those in attendance included the TSH Prince and Princess Pierre d'Arenberg, who were Chairmen of the weekend. On the first evening, Marchese Alberto and Marchesa Barbara Berlingieri gave a welcoming cocktail party at their Palazzo Treves di Bonfili, overlooking the Grand Canal. The group's activities included a private visit to the newly restored Fondazione Querini Stampalia, housing a spectacular library, then a tour and lunch in the courtyard of Palazzo Grimani, also recently restored and not yet open to the public.

Karlheinz & Elizabeth Muhr, Pat Patterson, and Dr. William Haseltine

Akis Stephanides and Susan Schwartz

Marchese Alberto Berlingieri, Muffy Miller, Marchesa Barbara Berlingieri, and Don Miller

Noreen Buckfire, Larry Lovett, and Daisy Soros

Diana Moli and Elizabeth of Bavaria

Sibilla de Luxembourg, Stephane de Billy, and Helene de Pourtales at Palazzo Grimani

Kenneth J. Lane, Princess Michael of Kent, and Toto Bergamo Rossi at Fondazione Querini Stampalia

Gary Parr, Chairman of Venetian Heritage and Laurie Dhue at Palazzo Grimani

The next day, after a refreshing stop at Villa "La Malcontenta," home of Count and Countess Antonio Foscari Widmann Rezzonico and called "the most beautiful house in the world", the group went on to Padua for a concert, a walk through the dazzling Basilica of St. Anthony and especially a view of the Chapel of St. Anthony, recently restored by Venetian Heritage, under the guidance of Toto Bergamo Rossi, which revealed the exquisitely carved marble wall panels representing the miracles of the Saint. Every year over six million people visit the Chapel, one of the holiest sites in Christendom.

Villa "La Malcontenta"

Art at "La Malcontenta"

Sibilla de Luxembourg

Sybile of Luxembourg

Angelique de Maleingreau

Other private events scheduled, which kept the group hopping and also away from the tourist crowds, were a preview visit to the Biennale, a concert under the glowingly lit golden dome of St. Mark's Basilica and a tour of the new Francois Pinault museum, the Dogana della Punta, the former customs house on the tip of the Dorsoduro section of Venice.

Basilica of St. Anthony, Padua

Interior of Basilica

Restored artifact in chapel, had been painted black during the war

Astab Jafferjee, Barbara Berlingieri, and Toto Bergamo Rossi in Chapel of St. Anthony, Padua

One of the restored marble wall panels in the chapel

Acqua Alta in St. Mark's Square

La Punta della Dogana

Altar at Church of San Salvador, being restored

Princess Michael of Kent, Luigino and Roberto Rossi, Maurizio Plessi, and Gary Parr at Palazzo Curti Valmarana

On Saturday, stalwarts braved the acqua alta in St. Mark's Square and visited the Church of San Salvador to see Venetian Heritage’s restoration work in progress and to learn about its future restoration of the 14th century silver altarpiece. Then, off to luncheon as guests of Roberta and Luigino Rossi in their Grand Canal Palazzo Valmarana, where their collection of Andy Warhol drawings was on view.

Muffy Miller, Monique Veaute, and Hilary Geary Ross at La Punta della Dogana

Becca and John Thrash

Julian Farrow of Jet Republic and Natalia Nasova

Rima Brihi and Dahlia Dana

Comte Eric d'Hauteville and Emmanuelle Chaufour

The weekend's highlight was the ball at Villa Pisani, in Strà, just outside of Venice. The villa, called “the Versailles of the Veneto,”, was built by the Pisani family in the early 18th century to celebrate the election of Alvise Pisani as the 114th Doge of the Venetian Republic.

Villa Pisani in Strà

Cocktails at Villa Pisani

Dinner at Villa Pisani

Villa Pisani draped in purple

Brett Price, Holly and Michael McCloskey, Laura Evans, and Tom Quick

The gang after dinner

After drinks on the terrace, a quick stroll through the enfilade of rooms, including the dining room recently restored by Venetian Heritage, dinner was served in the ballroom, under Titian’s magnificent ceiling fresco of “The Glory of the Pisani Family”. And late into the night, lit by a full moon and colored lights on the Villa's facade, guests danced and danced. In such an atmosphere no one wanted to go home!

Pia Getty

Lucy Forster, Dahlia Dana, David Forster, and Rima Brihi

Marie Chantel and Pavlos of Greece

Maria Manetti Farrow, Cristina Pinto, and Elizabeth Muhr

Donna and Ben Rosen

Frank and Victoria Wyman

Patricia Cisneros

Rebecca Carcelle, Becca Thrash

Comte and Comtessa Marc d'Andlau-Hombourg

Hilary and Wilbur Ross

Patricia and Sylvia d'Arenberg

Francesca Meinl, Sylvie d'Arenberg, and Safia al Rashid

Pierre and Sylvie d'Arenberg

Dancing the night away

Back in wacky New York ... The Arts Corporation and the Acettes came together this Tuesday to host a party at the newly opened High Line.

Hikari Yokoyama, Debora Warner, Amanda Peters, Leah King, and Bon Jane (ACETTES)

Acettes Performance

For years it was abandoned and gradually grew New York shrubbery, that is until Mayor Michael Bloomberg got involved. The southern section has since been developed and was re-opened on June 9, as a public use elevated park. On Tuesday, the Acettes gave a live performance under The High Line at W. 25th street.

Bon Jane

Christina Guadalupe, Christine James, Gustavo Erangaza, and Lisa Anastos

Debora Warner

Leah King

Hikari Yokoyama

Amanda Peters

Bagua Jody and Joanne Vandermollen

Kelly Framel

Jori Klein and Sabrina Wirth

Cipriano Zeharo, Claire Distenfield, Jessica Vitagliano, and Evan Ross

Lisa Anastos, Mike Latham, Angel Cheng, and Lidia Amirova

Leigh Newman and John Mollett

Allison Dalton and Daniel Leal

Debora Warner, Evaeva, and Leah King

Nick Robinson and Cyan D

Abby Henson and Madeleine Turner

Aaron Fedor, Luke Fedor, and Tori Golub

Amanda Peters and Elise Gallardo

Kelly Framel, Alexander Wolf, and Victoria Stevens

Spencer Product

Tori Golub and Joseph LaPiana

Mike Norkin, Russell Nelson, and Margaret Casagrande

Cat Wei and Melissa Skoog

Hikari Yokoyama, Lisa Anastos, and Debora Warner

Mike Latham and Trevor Stahelski

Two Saturdays ago up in Washington, Connecticut, The Library Luminaries, supporters of the Gunn Memorial Library, held their annual fund-raising event. Now in its 13th year, the Library Luminaries brought out more than 200 in support of the Library. Patrons made a contribution to attend a dinner with one of the several Luminaries.

Susan Payne, John Payne III, Jane Cook, and Peter Steiner

Carolyne Roehm, Christina Klemm, Dr. April Benasich, and John Maurer

Ambassador William J. vanden Heuvel and Eugene Kohn

Dr. April Benasich and Averil Smith (Co-chair)

Susan and Philip Markert

Linda Dishy, Bill Boggs, and Bernie Dishy

Linda Allard, Kirsten Peckerman, and Dr. Leo Altschul

Matt Lynn, Carolyn Klemm, Candace Bushnell, and Graham Klemm

Cynthia Oneglia and Averil Smith (Co-chair)

Ron Garfunkel

Keith Halstead, Joe Godfrey, Jerry Jones, and Mark Lamos

Sandy Flood, Alexandra Alcoff, Sam Alcoff, and Phil Farmer

Caroline and Leonard Kady

Judith Selkowitz, Caroline Mosse, and Jean Solomon

Eileen Field, Bill Fore (Co-Chair), and Joe Loose

Photographs by Mary Hilliard (Venetian Heritage); ©PatrickMcMullan.com (Acettes).

Click here [1] for NYSD Contents