Pedrocchi Café
The Pedrocchi Café (Caffè Pedrocchi in Italian) is a café founded in the 18th century in central Padua, Italy. It has architectural prominence because its rooms were decorated in diverse styles, arranged in an eclectic ensemble by the architect Giuseppe Jappelli. The café has historical prominence because of its role in the 1848 riots against the Habsburg monarchy, as well as for being an attraction for artists over the last century from the French novelist Stendhal to Lord Byron to the Italian writer Dario Fo.
South loggia and the east facade
North loggias and piazza
South facade of Caffè Pedrocchi
The Tradition[edit]
Because of its central location and proximity to the seat of government the café soon became the cultural and commercial center and meeting place for students, artists, writers and patriots.[1] It was also the scene of the 1848 student uprisings against the dominant Austrian, as evidenced by the souvenir plates on the wall of white room, and meeting place for writers and artists such Nievo, Fusinato, Stendhal, which even extolled the wonders of eggnog pedrocchiano, D'Annunzio, Eleonora Duse and the futurist Marinetti.[1] Owned by the City of Padua since 1891, the coffee houses, along with the Galleries of Pedrocchi and the Museum of the Risorgimento, the public can still read one of the newspapers available in the Green Hall, have a meal or pastry and coffee, and discuss politics, culture and life.[1]
Café Pedrocchi today[edit]
The Fede Group, a leading company in food and beverages, has managed Caffè Pedrocchi since January 2014; the idea is to contribute to the City Council of Padua for the renovation project of the building, respecting the original structure and its historicity. The renovation will cover bathrooms and cellars, going through warehouses and electrical and air conditioning systems, up to the delicate restoration of fine stucco and frescoes and the renovation of antique sofas and chairs. New services and new initiatives, such as the birth of the modern area of Pastelaria Nova, the special of the Pedrocchi Experience, Aperitifs, Exclusive Events and the countless cultural and musical events.