from 1865 to 1870
Florence was the Capital of Italy from 1865 until 1870. This decision implicated the need of this remodeling trend and to accommodate about fifteen-twenty thousand people who made up the cadres of the new Italian government.This trend did not affected only Florence architectural structure, but its private and society life, too. During that period, There were many clubs and meeting places. The Casino dei Nobili on the first floor in Via Tornabuoni, almost opposite Doney became the preferred meeting place of the new citizens of the new capital. At the hour of the afternoon stroll, when "all Florence" either on foot or in carriages went along Via Tornabuoni, going or coming from the Lungarno or the Cascine Park, the club's members stood in front of their door to watch them pass.
By evening, dozens and dozens of private carriages, livery carriages or hacks returned from the daily outing in the Cascine, along the Lungarno up to S. Trinità, then turned onto Via Tornabuoni and scattered throughout the city.
Caffé Doney, known as "delle Colonne" because of the four columns that supported the vault in the main room that was painted white with gold ornamentation, famous for the quality of its chocolates and ice cream that was available in both winter and summer, was highly frequented by the aristocracy and middle class, by literati and politicians. Elegant carriages parked in front, but in the morning, farm women on their way to the Central Market, and especially those from the Oltrarno or Porta al Prato stopped in for coffee with milk and buttered rolls.
The cafés, restaurants, and meeting places in general mushroomed and were very popular. The huge Caffé d'Italia, opened in 1860 at the corner of the lungarno at Ponte S. Trinità opposite Palazzo Spini-Feroni, the Caffé Landini or "Flora" in Via del Proconsolo, crowded mainly on Sunday evenings; Caffé Wital at the Mercato Nuovo, and the Caffé Ferruccio just a short distance away that remained open late into the night; Caffé delle Alpi in Piazza S. Maria Maggiore, was open all night. In 1860 the Giacosa brothers opened their café opposite Palazzo Strozzi, and later they enlarged it. At the end of the century the Gambrinus cafe-restaurant, modeled after German beer halls was highly in vogue.
The piazza in front of the Palazzo delle Cascine, at a certain time that varied according to season, filled up with carriages that stopped to give ladies time for visits and to exchange greetings with friends and acquaintances.
When Florence became capital, many merchants came from Turin, they brought the tastes and luxuries of new shops. Many intellectuals, Diego Martelli, theorical patron of MACCHIAIOLI movement, for example lamented the disappearance of the simplicity of Florence's old establishments.
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