CAFE FLORENTINO
78-82 BOURKE STREET MELBOURNE, MELBOURNE CITY
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Statement of Significance
This place is included on the Victorian Heritage Inventory, for its potential to contain historical archaeological remains associated with the settlement and growth of early Melbourne. Under the terms of the Heritage Act 2017 there is protection for all historical archaeology sites and objects in the state.
Please visit the Heritage Victoria website to find out more about the Heritage Inventory.
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CAFE FLORENTINO - History
Heritage Inventory History of Site: Date of first documented occupation, 1853Heritage Inventory Description
CAFE FLORENTINO - Heritage Inventory Description
Building on site 1853 (No.82). Fancy Goods shop established there in 1890, by Alfred Edments, who occupied the building until 1934. Grocer's shop 1934-42 then occupied by Cafe Florentino. Nos.78-80 part of a terrace of eight built in 1860. Used as general shops. By 1900 first wine cafe established in No.78, this use continued. From 1918 Wynn family ran Nos.78-80 as the Colonial Wine Shop. Named Cafe Florentino from 1929 when leased by the Massoni family. (Significant interior murals painted during the 1930s.)
Heritage Inventory Significance: THE BUILDINGS KNOWN AS CAFE FLORENTINO ARE SIGNIFICANT FOR THEIR HISTORICAL LINKS WITH PROMINENT MELBOURNE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL FIGURES SINCE 1860 COMMENCING WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIVE TERRACE BUILDINGS FOR THE MERCHANT MOSES BENJAMIN, MEMBER OF A PROMINENT FAMILY IN MELBOURNE'S EARLY COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. NOS 78-82 BOURKE STREET ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED AS SHOPS AND RESIDENCES, FORMED PART OF THE CITY'S MAIN ENTERTAINMENT PRECINCT OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. THE BUILDINGS' ASSOCIATION WITH MELBOURNE'S PROMINENT WINE MERCHANT AND RESTAURATEUR FAMILIES DATE FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A WINE CAFE IN 1900, AND OWNERSHIP FROM 1918 BY SAMUEL WYNN, CO-FOUNDER OF AUSTRALIAN WINES LIMITED AND THE WYNN FAMILY WINEMAKING EMPIRE. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BUILDINGS WAS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FROM 1928 WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FLORENTINO CAFE AS ONE OF MELBOURNE'S LEADING ITALIAN RESTAURANTS MANAGED BY THE MASSONI FAMILY AND PATRONISED BY LEADING POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ARTISTIC FIGURES SUCH AS SIR JOHN MONASH, LORD AND LADY CASEY AND AUSTRALIAN ART PATRONS JOHN AND SUNDAY REED. NOTABLE ARCHITECTS ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT PERIODS OF ALTERATION INCLUDE RANK STAPLEY FOR ALTERATIONS TO NO 82 IN THE 1920S, JOHN W WRIGHT FOR RENOVATIONS TO CAFE DENAT IN 1928 AND ROBIN BOYD FOR ALTERATIONS TO CAFE FLORENTINO IN 1958. THE BUILDINGS' INTERIOR SPACES STILL EXHIBIT THE FASHIONABLE AND CELEBRATED DECOR CREATED SINCE THE 1920S, INCLUDING THE SIXTEEN INTACT DINING ROOM MURALS DEPICTING RENAISSANCE ITALY EXECUTED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF NAPIER WALLER, RENOWNED DESIGNER OF MURALS AND STAINED GLASS.THE FLORENTINO BUILDINGS RETAIN HIGH INTEGRITY AS A PERIOD CAFE, REFLECTING THE EVOLUTION OF A CULINARY INSTITUTION TO BECOME MELBOURNE'S MOST FAMOUS EUROPEAN WINE CAFE AND MEETING PLACE OF INTELLECTUALS AND POLITICIANS IN MELBOURNE'S 'THEATRE DISTRICT.' ITS SIGNIFICANCE DERIVED FROM: HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL LINKS WITH PROMINENT MELBOURNE CITIZENS FROM THE MID-NINETEENTH CENTURY, INCLUDING THE BENJAMIN, EDMENTS, WYNN AND MASSONI FAMILIES; CONTINUOUS USE AS A WINE CAFE/RESTAURANT SINCE 1900 ILLUSTRATING EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY WINE SELLING AND RESTAURANT DECOR AND CHARACTER, INCLUDING THE CAFE DENAT AND CULMINATING IN ITS CELEBRATION AS CAFE FLORENTINO AS ONE OF MELBOURNE'S LEADING ITALIAN RESTAURANTS; ASSOCIATION WITH NOTABLE ARCHITECTS INCLUDING FRANK STAPLEY, JOHN W WRIGHT AND ROBIN BOYD; PATRONAGE BY MELBOURNE'S LEADING INTELLECTUAL AND POLITICAL FIGURES; SIXTEEN NAPIER WALLER INSPIRED MURALS DEPICTING SCENES FROM THE RENAISSANCE IN ITALY REMAIN INTACT AND EXPRESSIVE OF THE CAFE'S ITALIAN ASSOCIATIONS; THE BEST INTACT EXAMPLE OF THE ONCE NUMEROUS WINE CAFES OF MELBOURNE'S 'THEATRE DISTRICT.' ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SOURCE: MELBOURNE BACKLOG STUDY. PREPARED FOR THE AUSTRALIAN HERITAGE COMMISSION. JANUARY 1997. THE FLORENTINO DINING ROOM EMBODIES A CULINARY INSTITUTION WHICH, AS THE CAFE DENAT, COMMENCED AS MELBOURNE'S MOST FAMOUS EUROPEAN CHARACTER DINING ROOM AND WINE CAFE. IT CONTINUED IN A SIMILAR VEIN, BUT WITH MORE RENOWN, AS THE CAFE FLORENTINO AND AS A MEETING PLACE FOR INTELLECTUALS, BOHEMIANS AND POLITICIANS DURING THE INTER-WAR YEARS. (CRITERION A.4) THE DINING ROOM HAS IMPORTANT HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS WITH MELBOURNE'S PROMINENT WINE MERCHANT AND RESTAURATEUR FAMILIES, DATING FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A WINE CAFE IN 1900 AND OWNERSHIP FROM 1918 BY SAMUEL WYNN, CO-FOUNDER OF AUSTRALIAN WINES LIMITED AND THE WYNN FAMILY WINEMAKING EMPIRE. THE SIGNIFICANCE WAS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FROM 1928 WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FLORENTINO CAFE AS ONE OF MELBOURNE'S LEADING ITALIAN RESTAURANTS MANAGED BY RINALDO MASSONI. (CRITERION H.1) SET IN THE THEATRE DISTRICT OF BOURKE STREET EAST, IT IS THE LAST INTACT EXAMPLE OF THE ONCE NUMEROUS WINE CAFES AND BOHEMIAN HAUNTS WHICH DOTTED THIS END OF THE CITY, PARTICULARLY FROM EARLY THIS CENTURY.(CRITERION B.2) AS A PERIOD CAFE INTERIOR, IT RETAINS A HIGH INTEGRITY AND IS DISTINGUISHED BYTHE NAPIER WALLER-INSPIRED MURALS DEPICTING RENAISSANCE ITALY EXPRESSIVE OF THE CAFE'S ITALIAN ASSOCIATIONS. (CRITERION F.1)
Archeological Potential: Extant bldg Fabric, Site
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ROSAVILLEVictorian Heritage Register H0408
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MEDLEY HALLVictorian Heritage Register H0409
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DRUMMOND TERRACEVictorian Heritage Register H0872
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