Caffè Florian in Venice opened 300 years ago

Caffè Florian in Venice opened 300 years ago

Located in the impressive St. Mark’s Square, it is the world’s oldest coffee house

It was December 29th, 1720, when Floriano Francesconi opened ‘Alla Venezia Trionfante’, which means ‘Triumphant Venice‘. However, it soon became known as ‘Florian‘, after the name of his founder. It is the world’s oldest coffee house and for three centuries it never stopped serving its patrons, not even in times of war. Nestled under the arcades of St. Mark’s Square, Venice, Caffè Florian today can rightfully claim to be one of the city’s symbols.

Indeed, people don’t sit here for a simple coffee but to plunge into a unique experience where they can breathe history, listen to the orchestra’s music.

All while they enjoy the view of one of the most important and beautiful squares in the world: St. Mark’s Square.

Florian’s richly decorated rooms feature artwork by important artists. And, in 1929, it celebrated its 200th anniversary by opening a new room adorned in the art nouveau style. Protecting and preserving this rich artistic and cultural heritage is one of Florian’s main objectives. For this reason and its location, fighting climate change is particularly relevant to the coffeehouse, which suffered extensive damage during the November 2019 record flooding in Venice, even if it remained open.

Over the centuries the elegant coffeehouse has also served as a cultural hub. And it welcomed countless cultural figures such as Casanova, Lord Byron, D’annunzio, Goldoni, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, Charlie Chaplin, and Andy Warhol.

Likewise, hundreds of international politicians and modern-day celebrities have paid a visit to this historic and contemporary landmark. In fact, Although steeped in tradition, Florian is actively engaged in present-day city life. And it organizes top-quality cultural events, with particular emphasis in the field of contemporary art.