contessanally: Venice: Correr Museum – The Venice International Foundation Annual Members Gala Dinner

Venice: Correr Museum – The Venice International Foundation Annual Members Gala Dinner. The annual dinner of the members of The Venice International Foundation was held this year in the majestic ballroom of the Correr Museum in St. Mark's Square. The gala dinner celebrated the Fortuny Mission project with a big fat check, whilst another big fat check was given for part of the restoration of the newly opened Mocenigo Museum. Among the evening festivities the 2013 Venice Foundation Cotisso Prize was given to Andrea Tomat. And a special guided tour of the newly re-opened Empress “Sissy” Imperial suites was given by the museum’s director Andrea Bellieni.

Correr Museum: The Venice International Foundation dinner. The president and driving force of The Venice International Foundation Franca Coin awards two checks for the restoration of works to Walter Hartsarich, president of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, for conversation and restoration of the newly opened Mocenigo Museum and to Daniela Ferretti curator of the Fortuny Museum; in particular for the restoration of Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo’s model of the Teatro delle Feste, the wall paintings of the studio, the model for the theater in Bayreuth and the great album of Fortuny Theatre Projects all of which have now been concluded. The next contribution is required for the restoration of the dies for printing on fabric that Mariano realized over a period of forty years in the field of fashion and decoration. These wonderful prints are a real "dictionary" an ornamental language of Fortuny and an indispensable tool for understanding the meaning of his art.

The Venice International Foundation dinner. The members of the board of The Venice International Foundation awarded the coveted 2013 Venice Foundation Cotisso Prize to Andrea Tomat. Walter Hartsarich, Francesco Molinari, Franca Coin, Andrea Tomat, Helene de Prittwitz Zaleski, Paolo Cantarella and Giustina Destro.

Walter Hartsarich, president of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia and his wife Lina.

May and Axel Vervoordt, Franca Coin, Julia and Gabriel Cuonzo

Vittorio Gregotti

Cesare and Liliana Rimini

The Venice International Foundation dinner. Under Antonio Canova’s bas-reliefs, Bisol’s Jeio Cuvee Rose brut was served before a special guided tour of the newly restored private rooms reserved for Empress "Sissi" of Austria in the Imperial Apartments of the Royal Palace, of which the Correr Museum occupies a part.

Axel Vervoordt and Daniela Ferretti

John Fiorilla di Santa Croce and Melissa Conn with Canova’s statue of Erma di Saffo.

Adele Re Rebaudengo, Toni Tapies, Fabio Moretti, Natasha Herbert Tapies and May Vervoordt

Royal Palace – The Imperial Rooms. One of the imperial rooms occupied by the Empress “Sissy” of Austria with a spectacular marble and lapis lazuli table.

photograph by manfredi bellati

Correr Museum – The Ballroom. The sumptuous and opulent ballroom is unique in the palace for the refinement of its Empire-style decor and is set up for the annual members gala dinner of The Venice International Foundation. Lorenzo Santi began the works on the design in 1822, and Giuseppe Borsato completed the decoration in 1838. The room is bounded at both ends by loggias intended to house the orchestra. In the foreground one of two sculptures in Vicenza stone by Antonio Canova depicting Orpheus and Eurydice.

photograph by manfredi bellati

The Venice International Foundation dinner. The table centerpiece was designed by Franca Coin. Her husband Piergiorgio kindly picked the walnuts and chestnuts himself come from the family estate in Asolo.

Royal Palace: The Imperial Rooms - The Empress’ Bedchamber. From 1856 on, this spacious room was used as Empress Elisabeth’s bedchamber. The lavish neo-Baroque hangings in blue and light gold were added in 1854, when renovation was carried out and the original is preserved under this one, which is an accurate reproduction by Rubelli. Although no longer present, we know that the empress’ bed was in the Rococo style, surrounded by curtains hanging from a metal baldachin. The daybed is one of the few pieces of furniture from the Napoleonic period to have remained in the palace and on the wall hangs an oil painting of the Empress Elisabeth.

Royal Palace: The Imperial Rooms. The director of the Correr Museum, Andrea Bellieni conducted a special guided tour for the members of The Venice International Foundation of the newly restored Imperial rooms recently re-opened to the public in the Royal Palace where Princess “Sissi” of Austria stayed, for 38 days, during her first visit to Venice in 1856. Later, Elizabeth chose the lagoon city as a refuge after the death of little Sofia, between October 1861 and May 1862.

Andrea Bellieni and Franca Coin

Inma Cavallucci and Helene de Prittwitz Zaleski

Andrea Tomat and Piergiorgio Coin

Alessandra Mancino and Giuliano Paterlini

Caterina Tognon and Marco Vitale

Royal Palace: The Imperial Rooms.

Paolo Cantarella

Michele and Alessandra Merlo

Alessandra Mancino, Franca Micheli, Angela Cacopardo, Tatiana Ughi and Giuliana Micheli

Liliana Moscheri and Annabella Bassani

The Venice International Foundation dinner – The Cotisso Prize. The president of The Venice International Foundation Franca Coin gives the Cotisso 2013 Venice Foundation Prize to illuminated entrepreneur Andrea Tomat, who with his “Stonefly walking with Art” project has succeeded in combining his deep and strong business commitment for the support of young artists. A brave act of patronage which in such difficult times for the economy can only be a sign of optimism and should be rewarded.