Italian architect and ornamentalist. He was the most capable interpreter of the neo-Rococo style in the Venice of the 1850s. This style was mixed in nonchalant abandon with Moorish and neo-Renaissance features. His best-known works are the decoration of the four rooms of the Caffè Florian on Piazza San Marco, opened to the public in July 1858.
The Caff� Florian is a coffee house situated in the Procuratie Nuove of Piazza San Marco, Venice. It was established in 1720, and is a contender for the title of the oldest coffee house in continuous operation. It is known as Caff� Florian, after its original owner Floriano Francesconi.
In 1858, Ludovico Cadorin was commissioned to carry out restoration work and redecorate the interiors. The interiors of the rooms were redecorated in opulent splendour and rebaptised with the names by which they are still known today. The four rooms of the coffee house were opened to the public in July 1858. The entrance was in the “Greek” style, the parlour was “Renaissance”, and the coffee rooms were in the “Pompadour” and “Moorish” styles, with figures of Arabs, harem slaves, Turks, and Chinese peeping out from the profusion of decoration. Even the doors were adorned with clusters of flowers and mirrors. By losing the specific characteristics of each style and blending them together, Cadorin managed to produce a harmonious continuity that flowed from one room to the next.
