Were I asked to recommend a European city for a weekend break, Venice would undoubtedly be in my top five – what other city in recent years has so fired up my imagination and romanticism that I have put pen to paper and situated a love story there? The Echoes of Love, out in November, opens in this beautiful, historical place, and the city is very much part of the fabric of the story – were there no Venetian backdrop, there would be no Venetia and Paolo story to tell.

Many people visit Venicein the spring and summer, when in the mood for sultry passion, and in September, to see the Biennale (see https://hannahfielding.net/?p=2721), which is a huge event in the Italian cultural calendar that pulls in thousands of international visitors. And yet, an out-of-season visit to the city is by no means to be dismissed. The streets are quieter. You can enjoy a greater degree of freedom and intimacy in an art gallery. You have a greater pick of cafes and restaurants. You mingle more easily with native Venetians, who venture out now the crowds have dispersed.

If you are travelling toVenicethis autumn, here’s a glimpse of what’s on in the city’s artistic calendar:

• The beautiful Ca’ D’Oro gallery (http://www.cadoro.org/) is running a ‘From Giorgio Franchetti to Giorgio Franchetti’ exhibition until the end of November. Both Franchettis were great art aficionados, one in the nineteenth century, and the latter in this one, and this is a wonderful art collection bringing together classic and modern pieces.
• The Accademia Gallery (http://www.gallerieaccademia.org/) has collated a groundbreaking exhibition: ‘Leonardo: Man, Nature and Science’ (to 1 December). All of Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings have, for the first time in many decades, been brought together.
• Have you see Titian’s painting ‘Girl in the Blue Dress’, known as La Bella? No? Then head to the Palazzo Grimani by 8 December (www.palazzogrimani.org).
• If modernist and surrealist art, such as that by Picasso, Magritte, Max Ernst and Jackson Pollock, is right up your street, you’ll love the Guggenheim Venice (www.guggenheim-venice.it). The latest exhibit is on French avant-garde artwork of the late 19th century. Be sure to check out the museum shop, which has one of the best ranges in the city.

And here are some events to catch:

• Sagra del Mosto Festival (first Sunday of October): This annual event is in honour of Saint Erasmus. Head to the largest island in the lagoon, Sant’Erasmo, for a feast (www.turismovenezia.it).
• Venicemarathon (27 October): Watch (or join?) some 7,000 runners as they pound through the city’s streets (www.venicemarathon.it).

Festival of the Madonna of the Salute (21 November): A religious procession to remember the 100,000 people who died in a plague in the city in the seventeenth century.  You’ll find a traditional stew called castradina on offer in restaurants on that day.