Rachel has lived in Venice for nine years and is the Italian art critic for The Financial Times
The beautiful morning: As organ music fills the Church of San Giovanni in Bragora, in off-the-radar Castello (Campo Bandiera e Moro), enjoy the wonder that is Cima da Conegliano’s Renaissance altarpiece – a Baptism of Christ set amid mountains and castles.
The brunch-time boost: Follow the nutty aroma to Caffè del Doge (Calle dei 5 609, Rialto; www.caffedeldoge.com), a proper torrefazione (coffee merchants), where they grind beans while you wait.
The lagoon-side lunch: A trip to see the mosaic of the Madonna on Torcello island is a classic Venetian voyage. Add a gourmet dimension with a five-minute boat ride to the sleepy island of Mazzorbo, and its new restaurant-with-rooms Venissa (00 39 041 527 2281, www.venissa.it; three courses around £51).
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The crafty afternoon: Sample the city’s artisanal spirit on Alberto Valese’s marble-paper-making course (Campo S. Stefano 3471, San Marco; 00 39 041 523 8830, www.albertovalese-ebru.it; three hours £85pp). At his studio, you’ll learn how to create the cloudy effect, painting flowers and fish on a liquid surface.
The dinner with a view: Informal eaterie L’Orto dei Mori (Campo dei Mori 3386, Cannaregio; 00 39 041 524 3677, www.osteriaortodeimori.com; mains around £17) has suntrap canalside tables – and taste-teasers such as crêpes with ricotta, courgette and prawns.
The home-cooked dinner: Tuck into a meal in the loft of local novelist and cook Manuela Cattaneo della Volta. Dishes might include bigolì in salsa (spaghetti in anchovy sauce) or raw tuna (00 39 335 353265; dinner £60pp).
The punchy performance: Local boy Vivaldi has never sounded sparklier than in the Church of San Vidal (Campiello San Vidal 2862, San Marco; www.interpretiveneziani.com). The vaulted ceiling makes for great acoustics but it’s the Renaissance painting of St Vitale on Horseback that really stirs the senses.
The fabulous sleep: The hot pinks and purples, and sumptuous fabrics, at AD Place (00 39 041 241 3234, www.adplacevenice.com; doubles from £130, B&B), steps from St Mark’s Square, make it the city’s most bijou boutique hotel.
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Alberto Toso Fei is a local historian and author of many books on Venice, including Secrets of the Grand Canal, (www.albertotosofei.it). ‘Sign up with one of the rowing societies to learn how to row in the Venetian style – standing up! There is no better way of discovering the extraordinary labyrinth of canals that are Venice’s finest treasure. Row Venice (www.rowvenice.com) has individual lessons from native English speakers.’