Cafe Contarena

Cafe' Contarena - Udine
Design: Lorenzo Miani

The Cafe' Contarena  is one of Udine's most loved places, located inside the majestic Palazzo degli Uffici Municipali, built between 1911 and 1925 by the Friulian architect Raimondo D'Aronco.

Entering the Contarena is like stepping back in time, in the warm atmosphere of the Belle Epoque, thanks to the furniture, the lines, the mosaics and lunettes, due to the skillful renovation by the architect Leonardo Miani who has taken over the original layout designed in the early 1920s of the last century by the famous grandfather Cesare and by Raimondo D'Aronco, architects-symbol of the Italian Art Nouveau.

The niche and lunettes – dated 1930-35 by the Friulano artist Pietro Someda De Marco, and restored by Friul Mosaic – are a unique and fine example of Italian Art Deco.

Seriously damaged after the reconstruction post World War II, some of the mosaics were restored and three quarters had to be remade from scratch after a long philological study of the original design thanks to the leadership of the architect Lorenzo Miani and the enamels and gold provided by Orsoni furnace in Venice.