Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
Athena was a milestone for Victoria Arduino. It is an espresso machine whose fundamental features are its rationality and linearity.
It is no coincidence that it was named after the goddess of wisdom, art and culture, the Athena who was born so arrogantly and
already fully-grown from the head of Zeus himself, to present herself to gods and humanity alike in all her virginal beauty, algid
in her purity. The city of Athens took its name from her and excelled above all in discoveries and innovations in the field of art,
literature and philosophy – like the Victoria Arduino espresso machine in other aspects. The good omen invoked by the
name, therefore, has kept its promises and given life to a product with an impeccable line and a rational functionality.
ATHENA
In those moments the smooth surface of
the machine, lightly faceted with hammer
strokes, reflected the thousand
kaleidoscopic forms of aristocratic female
times were a changing faces and smart male profiles that rose
and fell in substance, governed
The birth of the Athena was accompanied by the multiform play of reflections
by that of a formidable instrument of that accompanied smiles
communications, namely television. After and mischievous glances.
the first programmes went on air, most
Italians found they were forced to change On the other hand, in 1957, the Victoria
their habits and meet in coffee bars to Arduino, which always been outstanding
watch popular shows like “Lascia o for its vivacity, publicly proved its espresso
raddoppia?” or compelling football machines by trailing the “Giro d’Italia”
matches. A notice hung in many coffee cycle race, taking the notion of good
bars stated “Patrons must purchase to coffee to people and places, together with
watch TV programmes”. And what better the prestigious machine.
for drowning the stress of hanging on for
that vital goal than a steaming hot cup of Moreover Athena was then – as it still is
coffee, brewed with an elegant Athena? today – the leading player in theatre
intervals. Ladies and gentlemen in evening
At the cinema too, where Humphrey dress, with sparkling gold and jewellery,
Bogart and Ingrid Bergman were all the reaching the foyer to take advantage of
The inauguration of rage, the interval was always planned to the pause to enjoy a cup of coffee made
the Mokamba coffee bar,
Knightsbridge, London 1954.
coincide with the evening news or the with the simple lever movement of the
main sports summaries, to be commented prestigious Athena.
upon in the foyer of the chicest places,
gripping a tiny cup of espresso silently
drizzled out of an Athena.
Victoria Arduino’s long past has always known interior decorators precisely thinking of the hammering
been characterised by the reliability and because of its essentiality and elegant of the chassis, using centuries-old
beauty of the machines it manufactures, line that make it ideal for any ambient methods that only a few expert
namely the way in which it presented its and context. coppersmiths have
creations to customers worldwide. It had Yet the machine’s aristocratic aspect jealously safeguarded
to develop an extremely well-designed could not but be correspondent in the and are still capable
form, whose perfection allowed it to seeking and selection of the best of performing.
overcome ethnic tastes and preferences, materials that would ensure a timeless Finally, there is the expensive
as well as speaking the universal duration. inspection phase, which allows only
language of art. a product guaranteed by countless
Reliable functioning is also achieved with real operating cycles to leave the plant.
All this was the fruit of Victoria the craft manufacture of many of its
Arduino’s love for its machines and for parts, as well as the components being All of which has earned Athena
the Athena in particular, in universal assembled by hand. its worldwide fame, of which
demand by restaurateurs and well- Finish is also carefully achieved: just Victoria Arduino is justly proud.