On St. Mark's Square in Venice stands a café that has spanned nearly three centuries—Caffè Florian. Since its founding in 1720, it has not only been Italy's oldest coffee house but also an important witness to European culture and art. From Goethe and Byron to Andy Warhol, countless luminaries have left their footprints here; from the birth of the Venice Biennale to the tradition of live European-style orchestra music, Caffè Florian has always been closely tied to the arts. In 2015, it entered Asia for the first time, setting up shop in Suzhou's Shin Kong Place, bringing 295 years of Italian coffee culture to Eastern customers in its most authentic form. This article will take you through the origins of Caffè Florian, its celebrity anecdotes, musical traditions, and global branch layout, so you can experience the charm of a coffee legacy steeped in three centuries.
Source: Suyuan Liuji
An exclusive up-close visit to this three-hundred-year-old Italian coffee brand that's making waves at Shin Kong Place
Not only is Florian here, but there's also a male god from Florence, Italy, crafting coffee for you
Florian was born nearly three hundred years ago and is the oldest surviving café in Italy, located on St. Mark's Square in Venice, known as "Europe's most beautiful drawing room."
In 2015, with the opening of Shin Kong Place Suzhou, Caffè Florian set foot in Asia for the first time, establishing locations on three floors of Shin Kong Place, striving to present customers with the most authentic century-old Italian coffee experience.
Brand Origins
In 1720, Caffè Florian officially opened its doors on St. Mark's Square. Founder Floriano Francesconi initially named it Alla Venezia Trionfante (Venice Triumphant), later changing the name to Florian.
After 295 years of accumulated history, Caffè Florian has gradually expanded from a café with just two small rooms into a venue with multiple themed halls. The interior is decorated with 18th- and 19th-century frescoes, stuccoes, mosaics, and Italian velvet, in soft tones, with gilded frames and colorful paintings complementing each other, revealing a profound historical and cultural heritage everywhere.
The cultural atmosphere cultivated by Caffè Florian has attracted many outstanding figures—artists, intellectuals, and politicians—as frequent visitors. Today it has become a historic landmark of Venice, and the Italian government has even issued a dedicated postage stamp for it.
A Gathering of Celebrities
Since its opening, Caffè Florian has always been a gathering place for the elite. Venetian nobles, ambassadors, merchants, fortune hunters, literati and artists, as well as ordinary citizens, are all regulars here.
The playwright Carlo Goldoni, known for his keen observation of social manners, visited Florian in 1721 when he was still a child; the famous libertine Casanova also sought female companions here, because Florian was the only café at the time that welcomed women; in addition, Goethe wrote poems here one after another, Dickens created works here, Rousseau launched the Enlightenment here, Rubinstein played Beethoven and Villa-Lobos here, and many of Carlo Goldoni's comedy scripts were also completed here. Between 1816 and 1819, Lord Byron often appeared here, sometimes accompanied by Shelley; Andy Warhol's pop art was also depicted here. The story of Florian and the humanities and arts is deeply imprinted on the scroll of history.
Musical Tradition
Starting in the early 20th century, Caffè Florian began hosting coffee concerts with traditional European live performances, letting the melodious music on St. Mark's Square touch every passerby and immersing Caffè Florian's guests in it. From then on, live orchestral performances and musicians in suits and ties became a tradition of Caffè Florian, continuing to this day.
Florian and the Venice Biennale
In 1893, at Caffè Florian, Riccardo Selvatico conceived the idea of holding an international art exhibition in Venice. At the time, painters from various places often used Caffè Florian as their creative subject.
Two years later, the first Venice Biennale was born at Caffè Florian, attracting global attention. Artists and art critics often sat in Caffè Florian's Senate Room, and whenever a new Biennale is held, you will encounter artists, critics, and art lovers at Caffè Florian. This Venetian forum of living art has now developed into the world-renowned Venice Biennale of modern art.
Florian at Shin Kong Place
Caffè Florian has two locations in Italy. One is the flagship store on St. Mark's Square in Venice, the most historic. The other is in Florence's Parione district, a famous tourist and shopping destination bustling with visitors. This branch features a modern décor style while upholding Caffè Florian's consistent cultural and artistic atmosphere, and is also an important exhibition venue for the Biennale. Subsequently, the brand opened branches in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and London.
In 2015, with the opening of Shin Kong Place Suzhou, Caffè Florian entered Asia for the first time. Its locations on 1F and 2F of Shin Kong Place feature a modern style, while 7F is designed in a retro Baroque style, with a live orchestra performance stage, allowing guests to relive 295 years of wonderful times. Caffè Florian at Shin Kong Place uses materials imported directly from Italy and follows ancient secret recipes, offering customers perfect coffee, afternoon tea desserts, and authentic Italian cuisine.
The ultimate Italian style is fully embodied at Caffè Florian in Shin Kong Place.
Global Locations
Piazza San Marco, Venice, 1720
St. Mark's Square, Venice, 1720
2. Via del Parione, Florence, 2006
Parione, Florence, 2006
3. Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi, 2006
Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi, 2006
4. Gate Village, Dubai, 2008
Gate Village, Dubai, 2008
5. Harrods, London, 2009
Harrods, London, 2009
6. Shin Kong Place, Suzhou, 2015
Shin Kong Place, Suzhou, 2015
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
