Historic Lakefront Property to Host a Series of Cultural Cocktail Evenings with Lake Garda’s Most Prominent Artists, Philosophers and Writers
Grand Hotel Fasano, the five-star family-owned hotel nestled on the shores of Lake Garda, is delighted to announce a new cultural programme for 2025, ‘Aperitivo d’Autore’. A carefully curated series of cultural salons by internationally acclaimed and Garda local Art Historian and Curator Elisabetta Bresciani, the programme will provide an exclusive opportunity for guests to meet and share an aperitivo with some of the region’s most interesting artists, philosophers and writers.
Guests of Grand Hotel Fasano will embark on a cultural odyssey around Lake Garda and its surrounds from the comfort of the property, which itself enjoys a storied history as the former hunting lodge of the Habsburg dynasty. Aperitivo in hand, participants will have the chance to gain an insight into the local cultural scene – from artists and philosophers to authors – discovering the cultural tapestry of the region through their work.
In addition to the series of talks, Grand Hotel Fasano offers an exclusive opportunity to discover and enjoy the area’s history, art and culture through full or half days out to nearby Brescia, Verona or Venice. The bespoke excursions are planned in detail with tailored programs from high profile arts experts, creating truly unique and long-lasting memories. These include private access to individual collections often hosted inside elegant Palazzi as well as the chance to meet with contemporary artists in their ateliers.
The 2025 Aperitivo d’Autore programme includes:
Saturday 12th April, 5-7pm – Artist’s Talk and Cocktails with Marco Paladini
Marco Paladini will discuss his landscape and light inspired paintings with Giovanni Scudeletti, architect and Deputy Mayor of Gardone Riviera.
Saturday 3rd May, 5-7pm – Writer’s Talk and Cocktails with Anna Katharina Fröhlich.
Writer Anna Katharina Fröhlich will present her latest book La trama dell’invisibile, to be published in Italian in April 2025 with Mondadori. Born in 1971, Anna Katharina Fröhlich grew up in Frankfurt and Munich and has published five novels to date. A board member of the publishing house Adelphi, she divides her time between Mornaga on Lake Garda and Milan. Her latest book is a literary memoir that traces the intellectual and sentimental partnership – spanning over twenty-five years – that united the author and publisher Roberto Calasso.
Saturday 14th June, 5-7pm – Artist’s Talk & cocktails with Elisa Martinelli
Join artist Elisa Martinelli as she discusses her latest sculptural paintings inspired by archaic geometric forms, with Stefano Zane, President of Foundation MuSa, the local History Museum in nearby Salò. A resident of Castegnato, near Lake Garda, the artist has made hand-carved cracks her signature. Through them she searches for something profound, at the same time venting emotions and feelings. The cracks represent the search for a solution, without knowing where exactly it can be found. They embody the need for matter itself to ‘have an outlet’ – the idea of cracks as destruction, but also rebirth in new forms.
Saturday 26th July, 5-7pm – Philosopher’s Talk & Cocktails with Malte Oppermann
Philosopher and writer Malte Oppermann will discuss Das Wesentliche bezüglich des Jetzt, his latest book published in German in 2024 with Karolinger Verlag, which concludes the trilogy of time. A resident of Mornaga on Lake Garda, Malte Oppermann is the author of a title that refers to a thought expressed by Einstein, according to whom ‘the now has something essential that eludes science, something essentially different from the past and the future and special to people, to which science could not do justice’. Silvia Frau, a professional journalist who writes about travel, food and lifestyle, will dialogue with him. Originally from the Garda area, she lives in Milan, the city she described in her guidebook The 500 Hidden Secrets of Milan.
Saturday 23rd August, 5-7pm – Artist’s Talk & Cocktails with Giuseppe Bravi
Giuseppe Bravi will discuss a selection of his paintings inspired by prehistoric signs with Serena Goldoni, Director of the Heritage Paper Mill, Toscolano Maderno (BS). Born in 1940 in Milan and a resident in Gavardo, near Lake Garda, the artist is known for his poetic work, a daring interplay between handwriting and pigment, between signs that are indecipherable on one side and recognisable on the other. Numbers and scratches – whether intentional or not – and dirt stains, sometimes with organic additions such as straw or sand, are the signature of Bravi’s work.
Saturday, 6th September, 5-7pm Publisher’s Talk & Cocktails with Gregorio Gitti and Giorgio Bertelli
Gregorio Gitti and Giorgio Bertelli present their publishing house Gitti e Bertelli editori, specialising in artists’ books. Brescia-born Gregorio Gitti, lawyer and Giorgio Bertelli, artist and publisher, have created a new publishing label, the result of thirty years of experience of Edizioni l’Obliquo. The project proposes to entrust contemporary artists with the opportunity to design an edition in freedom of expressive means.
Saturday 4th October, 5-7pm Collector’s Talk & Cocktails with the Mayr Family and Elisabetta Bresciani
The Mayr family, owners of Grand Hotel Fasano, will present their family collection of historical photographs of the property, with the talk moderated by Elisabetta Bresciani, Art Historian. The hotel, which opened in 1888 on the western shore of Lake Garda, blew out 135 candles in 2022. Appointed a National Heritage Site by the Ministry of Culture in 1989, Grand Hotel Fasano has always been a symbol of the pioneering tourism focus of the Garda Riviera, so much so that by the 19th century it was a favourite destination for many families of Austrian and German nobility, who wintered here for the mild climate and unparalleled natural panoramas.
The ‘Aperitivo d’Autore’ programme is a Grand Hotel Fasano project, conceived and curated by Elisabetta Bresciani. Born 1968 in Brescia, Elisabetta is a trained Art historian who specialises in Cultural Anthropology. She studied Art History, Philosophy and Archaeology at Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Brescia and Vienna University. She founded and was Artistic Director of the Contemporary Arts and Cultures Gallery ‘Il Fondaco’, Salo’ at Lake Garda from 2004-2011. She initiates projects with a cross-disciplinary approach, working with visual artists, designers and cultural studies specialists in order to examine and re-examine history, art and artefacts in the light of current cultural issues. She has organised exhibitions at unusual venues which combine contemporary art with historic sites, like the Prince of Wales’ Charitable Trust in Transylvania, the Imperial Carriage Museum in Vienna, the Sigmund Freud Museum in London and the Benedictine Abbey San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice.
Grand Hotel Fasano will reopen for the 2025 on 4th April. The season will see the unveiling of a host of new offerings for guests, including luxurious new suites, a fully renovated spa and new menus across the property’s restaurants, including the recently awarded one Michelin star Il Fagiano.
A Leading Hotel of the World with 86 elegantly appointed rooms and suites, the property was the former hunting lodge of the royal house of Habsburg. The hotel offers guests an exclusive getaway, boasting a prime front-row position along Lake Garda, framed by lush banana and palm trees. In addition to its luxurious accommodations, this National Heritage Site encourages guests to discover the captivating charm of Italy’s most exclusive region, featuring a vibrant blend of medieval villages, Venetian palaces, and ancient castles.
Nestled between popular destinations Venice, Milan, and Verona, the 135-year-old retreat offers a refreshing alternative to the well-trodden tourist path, blending culture, exclusivity and relaxed Italian luxury.
The Aperitivo d’Autore programme at Grand Hotel Fasano will begin on 12th April and will be complimentary for hotel guests to attend. Talks will be in Italian.
Rates for Grand Hotel Fasano’s bespoke art and culture tours to Brescia, Venice and Verona are available on request. Tours can be in English or Italian.
Nightly rates at Grand Hotel Fasano start from €600 (£496*) for an Executive room with lake view and balcony on a bed and breakfast basis. The hotel opens for the 2025 season from 4th April. For more information and to book, visit www.ghf.it/en/
*Price in pound sterling accurate on date of publication