Tributes paid to Bournemouth business owner Fulvio Battistini

Fulvio Battistini, also known as Tony, was best known for running Battistini’s café in The Triangle for more than a decade and as the face of his sons’ local motorcycle business.

Born in Italy, he moved to England in 1959 and eventually settled with his wife Gwen in Bournemouth in 1965.

Prior to this, he had a prominent acting role in the 1950-released Italian film Margherita da Cortona.

Fulvio Battistini as Zufolo in the 1950 Italian film Margherita da Cortona. (Image: Battistini family)

He worked many jobs upon arrival in Bournemouth, including at the Roundhouse Hotel, at Fortes in Westover Road, and even on the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth ocean liners as a first class waiter.

Wanting to run his own business, Fulvio asked a bank manager for a loan to open a local pizzeria. However, he was denied this after the manager told him pizzerias would “never take off” in England.

Undeterred, he began making pizzas and selling them to traders in the Westbourne area.

This would lead him to open his “dream” café/patisserie venture called Battistini’s in The Triangle in 1990, which he ran until 2004.

Gwen and Fulvio Battistini (Image: Battistini family)

The café was a success and even received recognition from a national newspaper which reported it served one of the ‘top ten cappuccinos’ in the UK.

His son, Mark, told how his father had a “hoo-ha” with the council when it asked him to stop outside table service in The Triangle because his waitresses’ short skirts were ‘distracting drivers’.

With a lifelong passion for motorcycles, Fulvio became the face of Mark’s business - Battistinis Custom Cycles - and would help deliver custom vehicles across the UK and overseas.

During his life, he befriended famous faces such as Andrea Bocelli, Roy Orbison and Norman Wisdom among others.

The late Fulvio Battistini (Image: Battistini family)

He died peacefully at Royal Bournemouth Hospital on April 13 at the age of 87.

After Fulvio’s death was announced on social media, hundreds of people wrote messages of condolence to his family. One read: “Fulvio was a light that couldn't be contained.”

His son Mark said: “Dad had such an infectious zest for life. People loved him because he was very outgoing and very generous – sometimes to a fault. He was always the last up at a party and just loved his life.”

His funeral will be held on May 10 at the New Forest Crematorium at 3.15pm. Dozens of motorcyclists will ride as part of a funeral cortege for the ceremony, leaving from The Old Boys Motorcycle Workshop in Christchurch Road at 2pm.

Fulvio is survived by his sons Rikki, Paul, and Mark, as well as numerous grandchildren.