Caffè Florian | 1720 Venetian Landmark in St.Mark´s Square.

The iconic Caffè Florian is not just a simple charming, renowned and stylish Italian Cafe but it is with all its legendary history an emblematic site representing a 1720 Venetian landmark in St. Mark´s Square or Piazza San Marco, one of the most captivating, fascinating and enchanting corners of that glorious city founded on 118 islands on a captivating lagoon, a section of an enclosed pretty large bay of the Adriatic Sea in Northeastern Italy, a magnificent and scenic marvel which conquered and conquers all people worldwide.

Situated beneath the distinctive and glorious arcades which hosted the legendary Procure occupied since centuries ago by the offices of the most relevant attorneys of that superb former Marine Republic, that unmatched and incomparable establishment reached an International reputation and prestige with many prominent characters who enjoyed and praised the refined classy style and image sat at its tables in a place which never lost its incomparable charm thanks to a frame as that of Venice which is always able to transmit the deepest inspirations to everyone.

  

A distinguished Viennese writer and artist called Karl Hernold with a touch of humour and enthusiastic vein after his experience as customer at Cafe Florian described it in a phrase his sensation to sit there. In a kind of genuine and true hymn dedicated to such place some words that perhaps a multitude of visitors enjoying a coffee in that famed and prestigious icon could feel similar feelings.

That Austrian gentleman in a simple message of laud honouring that Venetian emblem said:"Europe is the most beautiful part of the World and Italy is the most beautiful part of Europe, Venice is the most beautiful part of Italy. St.Mark´s square is the most beautiful square in the world and, Florian´s is the most beautiful cafe of the square, so I am drinking my coffee in the most beautiful place in the world.” 

That praise to Venice, a destination eternally loved by so many people and also to that great and historic Cafe established in the fabulous setting of a stunning square  which identifies in all its splendour a magic environment highlighted by superb artistic and architectural details extremely fascinating of a city which was the Queen of the old Marine Republics and that after centuries continues to be an extraordinary symbol of a stunning destination, the romantic, captivating and  unique Veneto´s capital.

 All that was in its kind also a sort of promotion to Caffè Florian and furthermore coming from a character coming from the charming Vienna which is as you know it is not second to anyone in theme of literary and prestigious cafes many of them so rich in  glitzy details and with a history and traditions absolutely outstanding.

There are undoubtedly many emblematic and charismatic sites devoted to the highest  hospitality & catering industry located in marvellous scenarios all around the world with a superb enchantment but definitely that famed Austrian figure was right indicating that emblem of Venice as one the best establishments  to enjoy a simple warm beverage.

That stunning and stylish "salotto" just some metres from the evocative Canal Grande which immediately transmits inspirations and so recognised worldwide for its everlasting and fascinating image created to donate unforgettable memories to everyone is well known to be the oldest Cafe in Italy since 1720.

Originally when it opened its elegant doors the former owner called it Alla Venezia Trionfante, at the Venice Triumphant to pay homage to the glorious past of the legendary Capital of the Doges which wrote indelible pages of unforgettable history so rich in culture, noble traditions and exploits and as it says, that denomination was able to triumph for centuries as one of the most admired Republic´s all time.

Despite all that the loyal and usual customers preferred to call that Cafe with the name of its friendly owner Floriano Francesconi in a traditional Venetian form  used in that time and in a sort of familial way it was for all simply Florian and since then it kept the current name. 

Venice was historically the first Italian centre which experienced the aroma of the coffee which then spread throughout the country becoming the emblematic benchmark of one of the products which started to be among the most notable goods for merchants not only Venetians and Italians but for many others from different countries.

Many traders coming from Central and Northern Europe once reached the city of St. Mark sat there to appreciate that aromatic and unique dark beverage in a so charming and captivating place enjoying the immense beauty of that astonishing large square and they decided after their meetings to trade internationally that magic ground seeds result of a meticulous preparation, made using the best blends imported by the most exotic places of far continents with the mission to conquer the taste of everyone all around the European Continent.

Historically the coffee before being consumed as a simple beverage was drunk to take advantage of some of its medicinal and digestive properties and in addition its price was rather high. In the time people realised that the spread of coffee was such to fill the state coffers were born the first Coffee Shops the oldest in Europe established in Venice.

Caffè Florian was as a superb pioneer regarding all that and including it published a booklet in which were described in a very extensive way all the features and properties of such exotic elixir and with a clever plan of distribution and publicity which was in those times a sort of very advanced operation of marketing, promotion, strategy and merchandising conquered the attention of thousands and thousands of people.

Since then and furthermore after brilliant commercial results which reached very high peaks and indexes of interest worldwide receiving in addition a notable and considerable feedback due to such great and complete publication so impacting  to illustrate in all its essence a product which was becoming highly trendy in every international market.

The Cafe after such triumph added to its list another delectable product as the delicious hot chocolate which was another successful proposal attracting further new customers who sat at its tables delighted by that other sweet brown delight and obviously enchanted by that unique and fabulous frame of Piazza San Marco which was undoubtedly a superb additional scenic detail to fill enjoyable and pleasurable times with such astonishing view. Certainly all that increased the incoming flows enlarging much more the fame of an already very active and consolidated business.

That place has always been the emblematic beating heart of Venice and not just for its stupendous location and appeal but also because it was and is always present and alive in the soul of the Venetians linked to significant historic chronological stages that the Italian city lived in different periods.

It was well known when it hosted local figures closely related to the most fervent patriotism during the French and Austrian occupations and it had as customers several famous and prominent characters of art and literature who elevated for a long time Venice as one of the most important European cultural destinations.

 A large number of philosophers, poets and writers were frequently there searching their most sublime inspirations that Venetian establishment was able to transmit in a place in which was also so easy to meet a great interlocutor or an eminent colleague starting interminable chats with exchange of ideas and opinions regarding a multitude of topics. 

All that happened in the stylish interior halls or in the inviting outdoor terrace on St. Mark´s Square in the space reserved to that glorious Cafe, the constant presence of the highest nomenclature at Florian was something unique and incomparable.

In those legendary and distinctive rooms sat an endless list of figures who represented the highest international cultural elite and despite they do not need introductions but simply to describe which kind of illustrious and frequent clientele Cafe Florian had is pretty interesting to remember them and they were : Lord Byron, Giuseppe Parini, Ugo Foscolo, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Madame De Stael, Charles Dickens, Marcel Proust,  François Renè De  Chateaubriand, Gabriele D'Annunzio, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Arthur Rubinstein, Igor Stravinsky, Amedeo Modigliani among many others. 

Apart the previously mentioned Hernold other famed artists were protagonists of comments regarding that Venetian site which inspired everybody as a magic source of artistic exaltation and it was in many aspects a stunning instrument of movements as a loyal allied of great thinkers who were able to transmit their inspiring sensations creating sublime messages of appreciations and also deepest philosophical concepts after a coffee in that place.

One of them was the famous and extremely talented French novelist and playwright Honoré de Balzac who in one of his Tales of Italy said that about Cafe Florian "The time has Florian is a scholarship, a home theatre, a reading room, a club man confessional and does so well is the multiplicity of affairs of the country that some Venetian women ignore completely the kind of occupation of their husbands for if they do have a letter he will write to the cafe.”

Knowing the outstanding intellectual virtues of that iconic character who was among the founders in Europe of the Realism in literature and one of the most sagacious and wise observer of the society including in its smallest details and facets, that talented man was also well known in the highest intellectual spheres of those times for his marked philosophic vision of things and that phrase became so famous adding further prestige to that distinctive establishment.

Since its inception the Cafe met a selected clientele such as the noble and aristocratic Venetian social class, Ambassadors, wealthy merchants, men of letters and arts but also bohemian characters and including adventurers. 

With its glorious history and hosting so varied kinds of customers so different in professions, provenance and culture Florian could not stimulate the imagination and creativity of a playwright sensitive and attentive to the manners of his time as the famed figure corresponding to Carlo Goldoni who according to historic documentations frequented for the first time Cafe Florian in 1721 when he was a very young student. 

The fabulous  beauty of Venice and obviously the presence of such famous and charming meeting point is also suffused in a history rich  of glamour, intrigue and the pursuit of Giacomo Casanova well known to be a renowned “tombeur de femmes” of the Venetian Belle Époque was also a notorious guest of that florious Cafe.

That man courted a wide number of women at those tables, a place which was for him the perfect setting with the right and ideal romantic atmosphere to use the most creative strategies to conquer the heart of a woman and furthermore because in that period Cafe Florian was the only site in in which the ladies were admitted.

Having a coffee with someone there also meant to know a multitude of news, the opportunity to know new people, affairs of state, the moods of a friend during a chat in a special historic period, in some cases including the most frivolous gossip and the latest fashion and there seems no coincidence that Gaspare Gozzi in 1760 chose to deploy there the Gazzetta Veneta, one of the oldest Italian newspapers.

In a place in which apart the traditional coffee were also served fine wines and expensive liquors, that symbol of the Veneto´s capital was also an elegant excuse to try the quality of such fine drinks , enjoying a list much more complete than other establishment and also for that it was considered something of inimitable in its kind with such ample refined choice available any time and certainly an occasion to invite someone too.

Many figures sitting at those tables within cups of aromatic warm coffee, glasses of selected Delle Venezie wines and distinctive brands of  French Cognac talked in that environment about conspiracy, desire of freedom, often criticising and commenting with a veiled stylish sarcasm the attitudes of the Hapsburg House rival of Venice in thousands of battles in the Adriatic in the 18th century, the Emperors who created the Kingdom of Lombardy and Venetia. 

The fall of the Republic and with Venice under Austrian rule generated an impressive variety of debates around those tables which became very usual cited with yearning by the famous writer Silvio Pellico in his famed work and book Le Mie Prigioni, My Prisons written in the Spielberg prison of Brno, a city part of the current Czech Republic and in those times domain of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.

All that was in addition further amplified becoming more and more a political connotation because from the Cafe the Venetian patriot Daniele Manin proclaimed the ideals of freedom in occasion of the historic riots dating back 1848.

The years later In 1858 the image of that site underwent a profound renewal and started arrangements to reestablish an aspect more suitable for a new era. Those operations were conducted by Ludovico Cadorin, distinguished Director of the Academy of Fine Arts and eminent exponent of the Italian Neo- Rococo in that time who was the protagonist of that event.

It was time to refresh and revitalise a place with a more trendy spirit saving all what of great and considerable the Cafe contained planning a sort of divine revival but at the same time with a very respectful and significant mission to save an identity which had not to lose its charismatic appearance.

The taste and talent erased the austere imprint for new year’s which were living a sort of artistic revolution and progressive canons of research of something different preserving many former emblematic details of the old establishment enriching and enlarging the rooms and restoring the colours and some deteriorated sections in a more than stylish make up.

In the meantime continued the atmosphere of that sub Reign depending from Vienna, the Regno Lombardo-Veneto which was a reality never accepted by the Venetians who considered all that a sort of Imperial profane invention relegating the triumphant former Marine Republic as a provincial place.Closely related to that  Caffè Florian was witness of several chats having as protagonists the Austrian Emperors Ferdinand I and his successor Franz Josep I who never entered in the hearts and sympathies of the locals.

The Cafe is also is famed for having been the seat of new cultural proposals in the city and at the end of the 19th century at Cafe Florian during some meetings between Riccardo Selvatico and his friends was planned the idea to launch the notorious Biennale of Venice, the most contemporary art exhibition which takes place once every two years in the city and well known to have celebrated its first edition in 1895.

The fame of that Venetian icon which reached during its chronological historic glorious steps keeping always its appeal had a sort of transformation when that classy establishment especially after the events related to the 1st World War became a site frequented by tourists and ordinary people who for once in a lifetime wanted to discover the charm, prestige and appealing atmosphere of a scenic and unique environment and since then the clientele started to be pretty varied.

Not even the 2nd World War was able to stop the activity of that hospitality & catering symbol despite a notable decreasing of flows of people but it continued to be a famed meeting point to have a drink and a chat including talking about the sad reality of that time. 

That tragic event linked to a war which changed in its kind the history of Europe and the world did not change the desires of the Venetians who equally frequented Florian as something of sacred, as an eternal flame to keep alive. No wars or other things could delete or obscure the image of such sublime icon of the magnificent Venice.

After a period of relative neglect just like other Italian and European Literary Cafes considered by someone old fashioned or in some cases a bit demodé by some art critics the establishment was restored once again expressing a new reality with a soft make up but keeping integrally intact all that filled the glories of the past.

Today entering beside the usual clients you can meet distinguished personalities linked to the highest spheres of art culture and politic but it is also a mandatory or a dream for ordinary people to admire that appealing site simply for tasting a coffee enjoying that charismatic aura which surrounds that magic place.

The stylish and incomparable atmosphere of Caffè Florian seems to have been creates to delight the most divine joy of the senses in sumptuous and luxurious spaces within its background and every corner shows including in the smallest details something eternally ready to delight the most refined tastes at first sight.

In front of wonderful paintings which look out from the walls you will notice fine white marble tables surrounded by soft red velvet sofas, expensive wooden elements, stunning crystal chandeliers and everything is greatly arranged around a special and captivating layout formed by glitzy rooms so inviting to welcome the customers who feel as into a sort of Imperial lounge.

Beautiful chairs and a series of luxury decorations combined with the presence of beautiful stained glass windows reminiscent the charm of the glorious times of the old Serenissina, the glorious appellation and title of Venice in the times of the Doges are other stunning details which conquer immediately everyone.

All that remembering the splendours of the Venetian golden ages are protagonists to magnify that Cafe for all what represented and represents as a reality living the past in the present in an environment which created hopes, dreams, emotions, stunning inspirations, memories and much more.

Wide passages, framed Baroque mirrors of different size filling with extreme taste the light walls, different kind of images which represent a hymn to the most significant joie de vivre and also dreams, artistic masterpieces depicting human figures in the sky surrounded by a clear and immaculate background which transmit a kind of sublimation of art and imagination are all assembled in a perfect way.

All that was studied as a marked message which wants to capture immediately the attention at first sight and obviously to enchant the view of the customer.

The lounges are luminous with chandeliers and lamps placed in strategic corners emitting a perfect intensity of light covering every space to show the beauty of a wonderful setting composed by rooms which appear as a shimmering Royal foyer to welcome every customer in a gala environment or a superb site to sit and celebrate a high ceremony. 

Artistic eclectic touches of Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Art Nouveau styles in different corners including in the decorations of the ceiling, defined outlines, superb stuccoes and friezes and accurate architectural lines complete a more than divine scenery.

Noteworthy in the Cafe there are very particular room’s names, one of them is called Sala del Senato (Senate Room) is also related to science and arts and it is the site in which was born the previously mentioned Venice Biennale.

 Another one is closely linked to the the seasons consisting in a very charming lounge called Sala delle Stagioni (the Room of the Seasons) also called Room of the Mirrors which was greatly decorated by Cesare Rota with paintings depicting beautiful women representing the four seasons. That stupendous lounge was magnificently restored later by the architect Ludovico Cadorin who brought a new light to an already stupendous setting.

The Sala Orientale (the Oriental Room) and the Sala Cinese (the Chinese Room) represent a sort of jump to the Middle and Far East reminiscent the trips of the notorious Venetian navigator Marco Polo with decorations, details, elements, representations and motifs all around are inspired to that Continent, Asia so far away but so close in those impeccable artistic masterpieces you can admire imagining Venice embracing as in the past that world.

Two Continents are tied in two unique spaces which greatly shows in all their splendour magnificent works result of a fabulous imagination transmitting to the clientele a kind of experience as travelling in those countries explored by the Venetians since the Middle Ages in a reduced space.

The Sala Liberty (the Liberty Room) is certainly a further attraction and it could be considered as the sublimation of that artistic style so linked to that kind of architecture born in 1900 in wehich absolute protagonists are undulated and dynamic lines, marked outlines and a constant research of subjects and images to impress the human eye with realistic expressions of shapes and a great link to the most impacting aesthetic philosophy.

That wonderful lounge is a superb example containing all those artistic concepts highlighted by original hand painted mirrors and a splendid sinuous arched vault.

Do not miss to take a look to The Sala Degli Uomini Illustri, (the Room of the Illustrious Men) which is an outstanding tribute to iconic characters who made the history of Venice and Veneto. It is arranged along a stylish hallway with two lines of white marble tables on both sides and attractive violet long sofas. It is completed by a floor of brown tonality in total harmony with a very luminous environment highlighted by a stupendous decorated ceiling. 

On the walls as says its denomination you can admire ten medallion oil paintings depicting Carlo Goldoni, Andrea Palladio, Marco Polo, Tiziano Vecellio, Paolo Sarpi, Enrico Dandolo, Vettor Pisani, Francesco Morosini, Enrico Dandolo and Pietro Orseolo.

Those ten figures were in different periods protagonists with ten stories to narrate, then characters who represent the artistic spirit and the cultural soul of a Venice which produced such eminent characters who delighted with their works the entire world and also that is the message of that magnificent room of Florian..

That splendid setting depicts a solemn hymn to the triumphs of leaders of movements with Venice as epicentre, a masterpiece by the Master Carlini who represented in that magnificent work the Venetian glory with all those illustrious sons of the city of St. Mark´s.

 All those fabulous rooms represent in their kinds outstanding narrations marking a strong identity reflected in different themes and all them beautifully decorated showing captivating denominations chosen with creativity but strongly linked to historic periods as a desire to relive in that 1720 Venetian landmark in the emblematic St.Mark´s Square the enchanting fascination of a city which never lost its captivating and unique charm and much more all concentrated inside an establishment.

Cafe Florian increased its captivating atmosphere adding since the turn of century a lively Orchestra strongly linked to the most classical Central European tradition and style closely related to the most celebrated Cafe Concert delighting with musical melodic sounds and motifs performed by superb artists the days of everyone sitting at the tables or simply transiting in its vicinity.

The summers are always accompanied by that Orchestra which immediately attracts numerous clients who want to spend a pleasant time enjoying in sort of divine outdoor theatre in which the architectural jewels and charm of that fabulous square are also actors, protagonists of an extraordinary frame.

The music as pure and sublime art is devoted to perform in such splendid place a repertoire ranging from classical to pop music, the evergreens, the melodies of Opera held daily during the year by that legendary establishment.

Remaining connected to its true and distinctive tradition the cultural events organised by the Cafe are absolutely of high level especially linked to contemporary art and it is also in its kind a Gallery. Currently most pieces of art are exhibited belong to the private collection of the establishment and some of its masterpieces are often loaned to renowned museums for special exhibitions such as the prestigious Centre Pompidou in Paris and the famed Guggenheim Museum of New York.

Cafe Florian is a landmark located in another, established under those splendid arcades of Piazza San Marco which were once the beating heart of a radiant and historic charismatic Republic and nowadays it operates daily coffee and drinks continuing the fine traditions of its glorious past.

Many Venetians, Italians and foreigners appreciate that ambient and an impeccable service which continues to be successful as at the times of its former splendour and since its inception.

For those who want a sort of tangible reminder during a stay in Venice and visiting that glorious Cafe at Florian refined products are available to testify the taste and history of that iconic place.

Venice is always a more than attractive destination and that establishment a mandatory to visit, I wrote below some links which could be useful for you to organise your stay with other things to do.

Nearly three centuries of life could not pass over in silence. For centuries the facts of everyday gestures and difficult times, famous people who have chosen the halls of Florian as an ideal second home in Venice and an endless list of others sat there to regarding cultural and politic movements, inspirations and fears, dreams and sad realities, hopes and enthusiasm which all together made history elevating that site as a sort of myth.

All those experiences needed a mean of tangible memories, all that happened there in those rooms witness of everything happened and always open to welcome everyone with its unique charm and noble spirit. 

Born to delight people those outdoor tables are also part of a stunning setting in that magic and inspiring sumptuous square which undoubtedly helped and supported to increase the fame of the prestigious name of that great Venetian Cafe so famous all around the world. 

The client still finds today a site which is inimitable in its kind because it never lost its appeal with that unmistakable enchanting image as a legend which never dies. For a multitude of people is as a fabulous continuation of a magnificent history which conserves a unique and incomparable fascination.

During your visit if you are walking across St. Mark´s Square, stop at Florian simply to enjoy a break tasting an aromatic and warm coffee in all its classical styles such as an Espresso, Cappuccino, Macchiato, Ristretto or a Corretto, it will definitely be a great experience so glad to remember for a very long time.

That significant site is certainly a piece of history of that glorious city and once visited it you will be simply take home with you in your fantastic album of a trip lived in an extraordinary city, a pleasant a sublime picture of that 1720 Venetian landmark which will be imprinted in your most divine memories remembering the unforgettable, romantic and everlasting Venice which is also represented by the immortal and eternally legendary Caffè Florian.

Francesco Mari

Useful links

www.caffeflorian.com
www.venice-tourism.com
www.visit-venice-italy.com
 www.turismovenezia.it