News

In glasses, pitchers, and exquisite glass objects.
At home, we had cupboards overflowing with them.
Some broken, some chipped, some two hundred years old yet looking brand new. Truly wonderful pieces, many impossible to find.

This, says Giberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga – Gibi to his friends – was one of the reasons he devoted himself to glass, recreating the objects of his childhood memories. Born and raised with Venice in his heart, he grew up in the frescoed rooms of Palazzo Papadopoli on the Grand Canal, developing from a young age a refined sense of beauty and a desire to bring it to life.

Orphaned of his father at nine, Giberto was the only boy in the house, with two sisters and a mother from whom he inherited sensitivity and taste. After ten years in Turin and Milan for his studies and first work experiences, he returned to Venice and began working with glass fifteen years ago. Since then, he has created a stunning collection of unique pieces, blown and decorated by Murano’s master glassmakers.

Among the highlights is the “Palazzo” series of glasses, engraved with the façades of the Grand Canal’s most iconic buildings: Palazzo Ducale, Grimani, Papadopoli, Spinelli, Ariani, and Ca’ d’Oro. Their forms are simple and traditional. “I never liked overly ornate glasses,” Gibi explains. “Shapes should remain simple, while details can add richness.” He even incorporated stones in the “Jai” series, with silver rims. “I was in Jaipur selecting hard stones of different colors,” he recalls. “That’s when the idea struck me: why not set them into glasses?”

Travel, memories, Venice – these are his endless sources of inspiration. Like the pitcher that bears his name, “Gibi”: “There was one at home with a curious, unusual shape. I recreated it with a silver spout inspired by Venice’s seagulls. It became my decanter, one of the pieces I love most.”

In the Arrivabene household, the table is the heart of family life. Gibi’s world is still largely feminine: married to Bianca di Savoia Aosta, he has four daughters and a ten-year-old son. Some glasses on the table even bear their names: Leonardo, Mafalda, Vera.

But it’s not just about glasses or pitchers. The Arrivabene collection includes glasses, frames, underplates, salt and pepper shakers, centerpieces – and, increasingly, sculptures. A red-amber glass bust of Augustus captures the light of the Grand Canal on the windowsill. For Gibi, creation is always playful, a discovery.

Even with the responsibilities of family and age, he retains a contagious sense of humor and a lightness that balances his naturally nostalgic and reflective temperament. “Venice fits me perfectly; it suits my character. It is the ideal place to live and create.”