Fiorenzo Corona is dead, he was the soul of "Belle Aurore"

Fiorenzo Corona, owner and bartender of “Belle Aurore”, a bar on via Castel Morrone in Milan, has died at the age of 74. Corona, hospitalized in the Città Studi clinic, was struggling with complications from pneumonia that struck him after a heart operation.

The “Fiore” venue is halfway between a Parisian bistro and a beer hall. It has kept its identity intact over time, without ever giving in to loud music or the apericena trend. A character that reflected that of its owner. The relaxed and retro-flavored atmosphere, also given by the simple and lived-in furnishings, has always made it unique in the city panorama, without compromising its success, indeed managing to renew its clientele, an often difficult feat for historic venues.

The Milanese left has passed in front of Fiorenzo's counter. Over the years, those stools have been sat by the writer Antonio Scurati, Carlo Feltrinelli, Elisabetta Sgarbi, but also by artists like Francesco Bianconi of Baustelle. People from the Milanese political scene, but also students, residents of the neighborhood and workers looking for a drink and a chat.

It is not yet clear what will happen to the place: Corona had no children. For the moment it will reopen and behind the counter there will be Andrea Frateff-Gianni, a barman who worked with Fiorenzo for twenty years. The funeral of the historic owner will take place on Tuesday, February 25 at the Lambrate cemetery.