She's Crazy for Leavin': Il Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo

Okay, as most of you know, I am on the Board of Directors for the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles in Berkeley. The President of the Board is Jules Kliot, who was my boss for the eight and a half years I was in the textile business, and is kind-of like my other dad at this point. At the last Board Meeting he gave me a copy of some correspondence he'd had with Dott.sa Paola Chiapperini (one of the directors of the Musei Civici Veneziani) with regard to their Lace and Textile Collection. He figured I was gonna be in Venice, I should go meet her and send my regards.

Well I am in Venice. Carnevale ended yesterday. I have a clear duty. Today, I will hit the Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo and try to give my regards to the infamous Chiapperini. I allow myself to sleep a bit (Hey, I'm recovering from Carnevale, okay?). I drag myself out of bed and get ready to make my daily pilgrimage to the Awesome Cappuccino Store (see previous posts). The view is so charming I have to take a picture.

View From the Window at Venice Fish.

Cappuccino fortified and armed with the results of my web search and a map of Venice, I make make my way toward the Palazzo Mocenigo. It's a pretty loopy path and takes awhile but everything is so fun to look at I am unbothered by the passing of time.

View from Bridge One of Four en route to the Museum.

There is something very fey about all these male statues. I confess it's pretty adorable.

Bridge Three of Four. So Cute!

At last I find the museum. I get in for a few euro and wander about happily. The booklet says: "The beautiful Palazzo Mocenigo was once the 18th Century home of the Mocenigo family, one of the most influential families of the Serenissima, who gave seven doges to the Republic. The Palazzo is now a museum with many displays of textiles, books and furniture as well as period clothing ". Oh it so does have all that and more. Embroidered 18th Century waistcoats that make you feel faint. Honestly.

They keep the place pretty dark (which is good, means the fancy textiles will last longer and all) and of course you're not allowed to use a flash, so most of my pictures are blurry as hell. I did get a fairly good shot of the sassy Venetian Point Lace.

40 to 70 hours to make about 1 square inch. That's Commitment.

The Book Store is at least as awesome as the exhibits. My Italian is terrifyingly limited but the woman running the bookstore today, Patricia, speaks impeccable English. I ask about Paola, Patricia says Paola's schedule is so busy that it's impossible to know where she'll be on any given day and she rarely has any time to meet with people. Oh well. I've written lengthy compliments into their guestbook and I now have her email, I'll drop her line and hopefully next time I can set something up in advance and actually get to meet with her.

Patricia asks how much longer I'll be in town. I confess that I had intended to leave tomorrow, but I may put it off a day so that I can see the Museo di Merletto, and I tell her my story about arriving Tuesday right after closing time. Her face falls. She is so sorry, she says, but, due to the worrisome state of the old building, the Museo di Merletto is closed for renovations until November. She tells me the decision to fix the building at last happened so suddenly that there probably isn't even a sign up yet. I'm so gonna cry. I've spent the last two days trying to convince myself that I could miss the Lace Museum this time. As soon as she say the words I realize what a silly thought that was. Burano is the mother of Needle Lace. Needle lace is THE lace. Who knows if I will ever make it to Venice again? Swallowing my disappointment, I ask about the House of Goldoni, also on my list. It also, apparently, frequently contains the elusive Chiapperini. I ask if Paola might be at Goldoni tomorrow. Patricia says hang on, picks up the phone and dials. She converses for about three minutes in Italian while I look at books. She covers the mouthpiece to tell me that Paola won't be able to see me tomorrow, but Paola says she will call the Security Guard for the Burano Museum and tell him to let me in at 10am tomorrow if I still want to go. Excuse Me? I think someone just offered to open a Museum just for me. This is how Michelle Pfeiffer must feel all the time. YES, YES, YES, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, YES! I would love to be at the Museo di Merletto at 10am tomorrow please tell Paola thank you, thank you, thank you! No problem, says Patricia. She tells me to be there at 10am and the security guard will have my name and be expecting me. I thank Patricia profusely, purchase the Mocenigo book and head out.

They are opening the museum for me...

...

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Oh Man. This is so cool.

I dance my way back to the hostel.

I have dinner at Venice Fish with the remaining Kool Hostelkats and borrow Lindsey's computer to catch up on some online stuff for free. Nice. There's a Russian/French/Swiss mother and her eight year old daughter staying at the hostel (No really, They both speak three languages...Nuts). The daughter, whose name is Melanie, is so not done with Carnevale style partying. She speaks no English at all but after dinner she brute forces everyone in the house into Follow-The-Leader-Crazy-Dancin'-Melanie-Style. She won't hold still so every picture is blurred but I love them anyway.