Since 1969, Pasticceria Padova has been the sweet aroma that announces the morning in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.
For almost 50 years, the good morning of the Italian community has tasted like a freshly filled cannolo or a crispy sfogliatella. For many, it’s a daily ritual that marks life in the neighbourhood of Fawkner: an espresso, a chat and a big smile behind the Luele family counter.
What’s now a local institution was born from the heart and hands of Carlo and Alma, a close and tireless couple who for more than half a century have continued to knead pastries with passion and dedication.
Carlo arrived in Australia as a very young man in June 1963, and just a month later he began working at Pasticceria Lucchini on Lygon Street in Carlton. “I didn’t know a word of English, but I learned the craft by watching and making mistakes,” he says with a smile.
After years of apprenticeship, sacrifices and nights spent among flours and creams, Carlo bought Pasticceria Padova, turning it into a point of reference for the Italian Australian community.
Together with his wife Alma, who has always welcomed customers with her kindness and smile, he built a small temple of Italian pastry tradition. The cafe soon became a place of excellence, flavour and resilience.
That sweet everyday life was abruptly interrupted about a year and a half ago, when an arson attack—the result of a criminal feud linked to Melbourne’s ‘tobacco wars’—destroyed the neighbouring shop and seriously damaged Pasticceria Padova.
“There was an explosion in the shop next door, they set it on fire and the damage reached us too,” recalls Alma emotionally. “We were closed for about 14 or 15 months. It was a really difficult time.”
But Sunday, November 9, the shutter rose again. The sign ‘Pasticceria Padova’ once more shone on Bonwick Street, and the community responded with great affection.
Many, defying the grim weather forecast, gathered to celebrate the reopening with Italian music, dancing and freshly baked pastries.
Fragrant cannoli, diplomatici with a touch of liqueur—among the best in Melbourne, they say—custard filled bomboloni and fresh fruit pastries made the day of those present.
“It’s wonderful to be here today,” says Alma, surrounded by children and grandchildren who actively contribute to the family business. “This community is part of us. This is very exciting!”
Carlo, for his part, watches the crowd with glistening eyes. “It is beautiful to see all these people,” he confides to us, “It would be nice to have them every day.”
Among the guests was also MP Kathleen Matthews Ward. “This is one of the oldest businesses in the area with a wonderful story of migrants who work hard, bringing joy to so many people through their passion for cooking,” says Ward.
“It is an extraordinary family that represents the true heart of this community.”
In the front row was also 98-year-old Errico Musolino, a dear friend of Carlo who braved the cold weather to embrace his long-time breakfast companion.
Like him, many residents wanted to be there. “This shop knows us as if we were family. I love the cannoli: they are my favourite dessert and they make them wonderfully here,” shares longtime local Vicky Ross.
“My mother discovered Pasticceria Padova many years ago, and since then we always come here—it’s part of our history,” says Silvana Barbieri, before adding that her favourite dessert is the continental cake.
Carlo, while moving effortlessly between freshly baked cakes, the counter and the crowd of customers greeting him affectionately, shared a little more about his work.
“It’s a job like many others, but in the end, it gets into your blood,” he reveals. “You don’t know how to do anything but this. And then, look … pastries make people smile—and seeing people smile is the most beautiful thing there is.”
The event was also a moment to remember dear Pia, who passed away last August. Pia worked at Pasticceria Padova for ten years and was considered part of the Luele family. She had a precious and affectionate presence and continues to be deeply missed by everyone.
