A large yet delicate 17th-century opalescent glass chandelier from Murano adorned with glass flowers and petals presides over the dining room, where a matched pair of 17th-century still life paintings by the Spanish artist Pedro de Camprobín hang over the wood lacquered sideboards. An important, ornately crafted 17th-century silver plateau in the center of the table, which traces its provenance to the Royal Palace in Naples, was purchased by Possati in Rome from the antiques dealer Di Castro.

"Books are almost as important to me as the art and antiques in my home," explains Possati, whose Stanza Rossa ("Red Room"), is home to hundreds of volumes. "In Paris I cannot resist going into an antique bookshop or the bookshop at the Louvre, where I bought so many books they had to be shipped home."

In this room, Possati enjoys her collection amid the other beloved antique pieces she has purchased, such as a pair of gilt Baroque miniature Roman armchairs, ancient bronze figurines, a French 18th-century cartonnière (filing cabinet), topped by an onyx Roman bust, circa 1800, and two circa-1942 Cubist charcoal drawings by André Masson.

Though the collector acquires many of her antiques in Venice (at well-established institutions such as Pietro Scarpa and V. Trois), she also shops in antiques emporiums around the world and attends auctions in Paris, New York and London, where she recently bought a pair of early 18th-century Venetian mirrors that are perfectly suited for the Palazzo Mocenigo. (Refer to the sidebar at right for Possati’s favorite sources.)

Despite the fact that she is often away from Venice, Possati remains a fervent advocate for the city and its irreplaceable treasures. Since 1999 she has served on the board of directors of the Save Venice Foundation, an organization that for the last 30 years has been responsible for the preservation and restoration of endangered buildings, artworks and objects in the city. "Along with privilege, each generation has a responsibility to the future," she says. "I am passionate and optimistic about my beloved city. I hope that the people around the world who love it as I do participate in safeguarding it for generations to come."

Barbara Milo Ohrbach, Art&Antiques’ Editor at Large, is the author of 21 books, including A Passion for Antiques, Antiques at Home and Dreaming of Tuscany.