300-Years-Old Caffe in Venice (Italy) is in Danger of Closing
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Venice has a rich history, but no cafรฉ there is more famous than Caffรจ Florian in St.
Markโs Square. It’s where one can relish 18th-century decor and soak up the sun while listening to the patio orchestra while gazing on Dogeโs Palace (with a fleet of pigeons). As the oldest cafรฉ in Italyโand the world, in factโCaffรจ Florian recently celebrated its 300th anniversary on December 29 with no fanfare.
It was a far cry from the 290th celebrationย in 2010, with cakes, an enormous party, and a live concert. The cafรฉ was opened in San Marco Square in 1720 by Italian entrepreneur Floriano Francesconi (locals knew it as Florianoโs).
It has been a gathering place for locals, a place to woo tourists, and a hot spot for A-listers for hundreds of years.
โWe do everything possible to keep the business alive,โ Marco Paolini, the managing director of the cafรฉ, tellsย AD. โWe are working to stay open for as long as we can.โ
Today, it retains Old World charm, with red velvet seating, marble tables, and gold-leaf walls adorned with century-old artworks by Italian masters Antonio Pascutti, Giuseppe Ponga, and Cesare Rota.
โWe are devastated,โ says Paolini. โThe pandemic has affected everyone, but we couldnโt benefit from various benefits.โ The brand had a turnover of more than $10 million in 2019 but suffered a decline of 80% of sales in 2020.
โCelebrating the 300th anniversary of a business with doors closed is a symbol of this crisis in Venice, and of the cities of art, in general,โ says Paolini. โThis crisis isย not only economicย but historical, as Caffรจ Florian is a piece of Italian history known throughout the world.โ