The famous city in front of lagoon hosts around 22 millions of tourists each year, mainly for its beauty coming from the channels around the streets but from its monuments and museums. There are a lot of artistic and cultural treasures conserved in the main buildings of Venice, managed by the ”Fondazione Musei Civici”. Some of them are the Doge’s Palace, the Correr Museum, Cà Rezzonico and many others.
The collections show the artworks coming from various century and each masterpiece tells the history about Venice and its protagonists. To be seen there are also the Rialto Bridge, the oldest and most attractive one on Grand Canal, the St Mark’s Basilica, Basilica della Salute and other famous churches. Also Fenice Theater is a must for the visitors, because it represent one of the greatest locations for opera and classical music concerts.
Despite the reasons to visit Venice, in the city there are some places where to have a break, discover the history and enjoy some luxury, as it happens in Caffè Florian, opened in 1720 under the arcades of Procuratie Nuove in St Mark’s Square, a perfect position in the heart of Venice, in one of the places defined as on of the living rooms of Italy, a prestigious scenario where to have a coffee or something else.
Maybe now you are thinking about the title of this article, do not worry, the coffee is made now, but the coffee bar is the oldest in Italy and if not the first one, with this concept in Europe, it is one of the most ancient in all the continent. That is why you can enter in the history and seat where some important people and nobles were seated in last centuries. The famous Casanova, the playwright Goldoni and the well known painters Canaletto and Guardi were among the clients.
You can stay in the tables located in the square or inside, where the setting is made of antiques and precious masterpieces, where each element is a witness of past. The rooms are elegant, but the most important reason to enter in Caffè Florian is the gourmet offer. They have some specialities, mainly related to coffee that they serve in a great variety of taste. Everything is about the preparation. As it is for the chocolate, served hot maybe with some cream. Very good it is also the Tiramisu a real delicacy.
The coffee bar is the perfect place for breakfast or just for a break during the day, but it is always a good choice especially the aperitif before dinner, one of the traditions in Veneto region. In this case they bring you some snacks with the spritz, of course if you like it, prepared with citrus fruits, soda water and prosecco. It will be really an happy hour. It is always quite crowdy and it is a bit expensive, but it is a must to be visited at least once during your stay in Venice.
As you maybe red in my previous article about Venice I love the city, but I generally prefer to see the parte where generally only locals are going, because it is possible to discover interesting treasures disseminated in small and quiet corners. I will talk more about it in my next post.
Anasa