La Donna che legge, (The Woman who Reads) is the name of the seventh installation in a project called Culture Chanel, a series of exhibitions retracing the history of the haute couture Maison and of Gabrielle Chanel herself. It was devised by Jean-Louis Froment, who has been curating it since 2007. Coco Chanel drew upon an apparently inexhaustible wealth of inspirational sources. Her creative universe is now revealed from a new angle still little known to the public at large : her relationship with books and reading. From Greek authors to the modern poets the designer rubbed shoulders with in her lifetime, visitors enjoy a chance to explore the vast library of this keen reader and to discover the books that shaped her personality, nurtured her imagination and forged the now iconic Chanel style. Such publications are complemented by dedications, drawings, paintings, photos, archives, jewelry, fragrances and objets d’art from the apartment at 31, Rue Cambon ; along with creations bearing the famous double C. A must-see in Venice, a city that greatly inspired Gabrielle Chanel, until January 8th 2017.