Café Tortoni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Café Tortoni |
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Café Tortoni
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| Built | 1858 |
| Architect | Alejandro Christophersen |
The Café Tortoni is a very old and famous coffeehouse in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It's located at 825 Avenida de Mayo. A French immigrant named Touan opened it in 1858. He named it Tortoni after a popular café in Paris where important artists and thinkers used to meet. Café Tortoni is so beautiful that UCityGuides once called it one of the ten most beautiful cafes in the world!
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History of Café Tortoni
The Café Tortoni first opened in 1858. It was started by a French person whose last name was Touan. He named it after a famous café in Paris, France. That Parisian café was a place where many important people gathered.
Moving to a New Home
The first Café Tortoni was on the corner of Rivadavia and Esmeralda streets. In 1880, the café moved to its current spot. At first, its main door was on Rivadavia Street. But in 1898, a new entrance was opened on Avenida de Mayo. A famous architect named Alejandro Christophersen designed the new front of the building. Later, another Frenchman, Celestino Curutchet, bought the café.
A Place for Artists: La Peña
In 1926, a special club called La Peña opened in the basement of the café. La Peña was a place where artists and writers could meet and share their ideas. It helped to support arts and literature until 1943. Many famous people visited La Peña, including writers like Alfonsina Storni and Jorge Luis Borges. Musicians like Arthur Rubinstein also came.
Famous Visitors Over the Years
Over the many years, Café Tortoni has welcomed lots of well-known people. These include politicians like Lisandro de la Torre and Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear. Popular stars like singer Carlos Gardel and race car driver Juan Manuel Fangio also stopped by. Even international figures like scientist Albert Einstein and writer Federico García Lorca have visited. More recently, people like Hillary Clinton and actor Robert Duvall have enjoyed the café.
Café Tortoni Today
Today, the basement of Café Tortoni is still a lively place. It hosts performances by jazz and tango artists. They also hold book presentations and poetry contests there. The café has kept its original decorations, making it feel like you've stepped back in time. It also has a library. In the back, you can play games like billiards, dominoes, and dice.
Who Has Visited Café Tortoni?
Gallery
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Tortoni exterior with Line A underground train entrance in the background
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Entrance to the Café
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Cafe Tortoni La mesa que Borges acostumbrava ocupar.jpg
Jorge Luis Borges's regular table, with wax sculpture
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Old barber area
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Display of busts
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Plaque in front of the Cafe
See also
In Spanish: Café Tortoni para niños
