My Venice: Bianca Arrivabene, deputy chairman of Christie’s Italy

The build-up to the Venice Biennale is my favourite time of year. Over the coming months, many of our most important clients will pass through the city. Delegations from all the different countries, as well as curators, gallerists and artists, are already in town, working on their shows. Sitting in a café, you may overhear conversations about this piece of art or that installation. You hear about which artists are coming and their plans, and your imagination starts running wild.

There are so many shows to look forward to. I can’t wait to see Jenny Saville at Ca’ Pesaro, Marina Abramović at Gallerie dell’Accademia, Lorna Simpson at Punta della Dogana, Michael Armitage at Palazzo Grassi and the Peggy Guggenheim show at Palazzo Venier dei Leoni — along with the Biennale itself, of course.

I was a teenager when I first visited the Biennale. I found it exhilarating, and I knew I wanted to be part of this huge organisation that involved artists from all over the world, each of them with something important to say.

Start the Biennale with a coffee at Paradiso right at the entrance of the Giardini. Get there early, before the gates open, and think about which artists you would like to see. Make the Central Pavilion your first destination of the day and take it from there.

If you sit in Harry’s Bar long enough, you’ll see everyone in town. All the artists, curators, collectors and celebrities pass through those doors at some point during the Biennale. Caffè Florian on Piazza San Marco is another good people-watching spot. Go there at sunset and you’ll see the whole art world walk by.

The brand new kid in town is Do Farai, a lovely, tiny trattoria in the Dorsoduro neighbourhood where the food is yummy. Enjoy a drink in the Campiello dei Squelini, before or afterwards, to experience Venetian perfection.

The best focaccia comes from Dal Non Colussi bakery in Calle Lunga San Barnaba. It is a family business that was started by the grandfather in 1956 and is now run by the granddaughter, the lovely Marina. It’s very special.

Any waterfront café will give you a taste of Venetian life, but for a sense of the real Venice you should head to the Rialto fish market on a Saturday morning. Have a spritz at Naranzaria, just off the market square. They do great cicchetti and aperitifs.

One of my favourite places is the Museo Fortuny. It is the perfect spot to take a break from contemporary art. Mariano Fortuny (1871-1949), who lived and worked here for 50 years, was such a polymath. Not only was he an incredible designer, but he could also paint, draw and sculpt. He was always experimenting. He was a pioneer in photography, and even invented a portable theatre. He changed the visual world around him, and his work still resonates today.

Fortuny + Chahan is a place of wonders. The designer Chahan Minassian has turned the Fortuny Palazzina in Giudecca into his ideal house. It’s a dream place, bringing together design, art and the most beautiful Fortuny materials. I want almost everything there!

When friends visit I like to remind them about the Tintorettos in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco and the Chiesa della Madonna dell’Orto, as well as the Bellinis in the Accademia. It is too easy to forget that these wonderful artists exist when there is so much contemporary art to see. Don’t forget, they were the radical revolutionaries of their day.

My husband Giberto has been running his Murano glass business Giberto.it since 2005, and he has made some stunning editions. His glass reproduction of Canova’s nude of Napoleon’s sister, Paolina Borghese, is now in the V&A in London. Giberto opened a tiny shop on the Rialto Bridge two years ago — do drop in!

Don’t leave Venice without a pair of my daughters’ ViBi Venezia furlane, the traditional slippers worn by gondoliers. You can now finally find them in Venice at Viola and Vera’s brand new shop on the Rialto Bridge — right next door to their father’s glass outlet.

I am very lucky because I live on top of the Aman Venice hotel, which has the most beautiful garden. It’s a great spot to hang out in. It is very calm and never gets crowded, and the food is delicious.

My favourite party was one we held at our home, the Palazzo Papadopoli, in 2005, before it became the Aman. It was for the artist Ed Ruscha, who was representing the United States at the Biennale. Stefan Ratibor and Larry Gagosian hosted the party, and it was such an amazing night. I remember Cy Twombly arriving in the kitchen instead of the bel étage, and us having to usher him past the ovens into the ballroom.

So many hands, so many craftsmen, contributed to the building of the Palazzo Papadopoli. It is their creations, from frescoes to chandeliers, that make it the unique wonder it is.

Every house in Venice is amazing — that’s the magic of the place. If I had to pick a favourite, I would say that I am in awe every time I get to spend time in Palazzo Barbaro. John Singer Sargent painted there, and Henry James stayed there when he was writing The Aspern Papers. It’s such a beautiful house, especially the way the light falls on the Sala della Musica.

The city is captured very well in Venezia è un pesce, a book by the Venetian writer Tiziano Scarpa, in which he talks about his way of seeing Venice. The title translates as ‘Venice is a fish’ — a reference to the shape of the city on a map.

If you prefer to go back in time, Tintoretto’s Venice is very well depicted in La lunga attesa dell’angelo (The Long Wait for the Angel) by Melania Mazzucco. You will then be delighted to visit all the places in town where Tintoretto painted (San Rocco, the Madonna dell’Orto, and many others).

A wonderful spot to unwind, have a dip in the sea (and get away from the art) is the Lido — everyone’s favourite beach. We hire bikes and cycle out to the lighthouse. It’s windy and cool in the spring, and the views are stunning.

A trip to the island of San Giorgio Maggiore is not to be missed. If you have a little more time, VisitCini is a great way to explore the Fondazione Giorgio Cini. You will be guided through the convent, the cloisters and the garden, where the Vatican Chapels still stand today. And make your way up the bell tower before leaving the island — such a treat. And that’s on top of the Georg Baselitz exhibition opening there in May.

The 61st Venice Biennale opens in May 2026, led by the International Art Exhibition In Minor Keys by Koyo Kouoh, on show at the Arsenale, the Giardini and at various locations around the city (9 May to 22 November)