From 27 September to 27 October, the world’s oldest coffee houses one of the greatest photographers in the international.

From September 27 to October 27, the Cafe Florian in Venice is hosting an exhibition of the renowned photographer Gianni Berengo Gardin, a great artist famous for his extraordinary reportage, which have made him a tireless witness of our time, attentive to the world and different reality.

The halls of the local Piazza San Marco accommodate fifty black and white photographs that constitute, as explained by the Chairman of the Cafe Florian Andrea Formilli Fendi, ” a narrative of everyday life of what is considered the living room ‘ good ‘ of Venice.” It is , for the most part, of unpublished images , taken by Berengo Gardin specifically for the exhibition during a week spent in the halls of the historic Caffè . Camouflaging itself among customers , the photographer has set his goal with images of tourists, lovers, regular customers , but also of musicians and waiters intent in their occupations . Along with the photos taken that week , Berengo Gardin has also added some “historic”, shots made about forty years ago and taken from his archive .

Gianni Berengo Gardin was born in Santa Margherita Ligure in 1930 and began to take photographs in 1954. After living in Rome, Venice, Lugano and Paris , in 1965 it was established permanently in Milan starting his professional career, devoting themselves to photo reportage, social survey, documentation of architecture and environmental description. In 1963 he was awarded the World Press Photo, and in 2008 he was awarded in New York, what is considered the Oscars of photography , the prize Lucie Award for lifetime achievement. In 2009 he was awarded an honorary degree in art history and criticism at the University of Milan. In 2012, he was awarded the prize Ambrogino D’Oro . He has held nearly 300 solo exhibitions in Italy and abroad. He has worked with major publications of the Italian and foreign illustrated press , but it was mainly devoted to the production of books , publishing more than 200 books of photographs .

In a top position in the arcades of the Procuratie New in Piazza San Marco in Venice, Caffè Florian is the oldest Italian coffee and is a symbol of the city. Opened December 29, 1720 by Floriano Francesconi under the name of ” the VeneziaTrionfante “, was quickly called by patrons Florian, named after its owner, becoming the most popular ” Bottega del Caffè .” In the mid-nineteenth century was completely renovated and designed by Lodovico Cadorin, becoming what we admire today .

From the beginning, the Caffè Florian has been a place of art and culture and is now home to major events involving artists of international renown. After nearly three centuries , as well as being a treasure trove of history and art , Florian is also an important and recognized outside of the lagoon city with the opening of “Coffee” , in the style and tradition Florian, Florence and Rome and at the Foreign Ministry and also in London. The Florian has become such an icon of good taste and style of Venetian and Italian in the world.