The iconic Caffè Florian in Venice prepares to celebrate 300 years since it opened its doors on December 29, 1720.
Caffè Florian has become such an icon of Italian style that the Italian Postal Service (Poste Italiane) has created a commemorative stamp, which depicts a window of the café reflecting a detail of the Doge's Palace, testifying to the incredible location of a place whose magnificent rooms have welcomed Venetian noblemen and Risorgimento revolutionaries, and which survived two world wars and the collapse of the Venice Republic.
Caffè Florian was founded by Floriano Francesconi, after whom it takes its name, which originally was ‘Alla Venezia Trionfante’. .
The Caffè attracted writers and artists already in its early days, figures like Carlo Goldoni, Goethe, and Casanova, who likely chose it because it was the only coffee house that allowed women in. Other notable visitors were Lord Byron, Marcel Proust and Charles Dickens.
The richly decorated rooms were completely renovated in the second half of the 19th century, with contributions from some of the best artists and artisans in Venice.
As for the other cafés on Piazza San Marco, patrons sitting outside enjoy some live orchestra music.
“Caffè Florian’s heritage has all the qualities, traditions and characteristics of a lifestyle that has persisted over the centuries and has been handed down from one generation to the next,” writes Poste Italiane in the note accompanying the stamp. “Caffè Florian has become an icon of Italian style.”
Have you ever sat down to enjoy a drink and the atmosphere of Caffè Florian in Venice?
