The Caffè Pedrocchi

Description

The story, the stories
edited by
Lionello Puppi, Paolo Possamai

A sentimental journey, a refined itinerary through words and images in the history of the “Pedrocchi”, which also becomes an original path in the history and memory of Padua from the 19th century to the present day. The book follows the vicissitudes of this building, from the fortunate meeting between the “caffettiere” Antonio Pedrocchi and the architect Giuseppe Jappelli, to the realization of the works of artists such as Caffi, De Min, Petrelli, up to the last restorations, offering for the first time an articulated political, social, literary, architectural and artistic reading of the famous café in Padua and of its role in the city’s history.

Since its creation in 1831, Caffè Pedrocchi has been a privileged place for the ritual of “civil conversation”, a meeting place for the ruling class and intellectuals, ready to welcome the Risorgimento ferments and the new instances of change. The essays collected here offer a new and in-depth vision of the events of the Café: Piero Del Negro describes and contextualizes the Pedrocchi “case” in the social history of Padua in the 19th and early 20th centuries, dwelling on a rich political and literary panorama. Lionello Puppi retraces the entire design history of the factory, providing an exemplary chapter of architectural history.

Marisa Macchietto illustrates the criteria and contents of the restoration work carried out for the recovery of the Jappellian “machine”. Paolo Possamai is the author of an itinerary that tends to illuminate the architectural and decorative choices that characterize the two floors of the Café, while the essay-narrative by Giulio Mozzi, in the form of a literary overture, accompanies the reader to discover the daily life of Caffè Pedrocchi. The rich iconographic apparatus alternates historical images with photographs by Graziano Arici.