Let us take you for a tour around these beautiful cafes in the Renaissance city
When visiting Florence, you won’t be short of activities. If you are an art lover you can spend your day visiting the amazing museums in the city and its churches, one above all Santa Maria del Fiore. If you just want to walk around and get inspired by small shops and restaurants, you’ll have a great time for sure. We suggest you also stop by a few of the many unique Cafes in the city.
Did you know that the first café opened in Firenze in the 1730s?
Piazza della Repubblica: this is where you want to be in your quest for historic Cafes: here you will find 3 of them.
The Gilli café
Gilli is the oldest Café in town. Its opening dates back to 1733, and its owner were from Switzerland. It was initially located in Via Calzaiuoli, close by to the Duomo, but it later moved to via degli Speziali in 1860 and eventually found its final home in Piazza della Repubblica, in the 20s. Its patrons where artists and men of culture, among them Carrà, Boccioni and Marinetti.
If you are familiar with the popular picture by Orkin “American Girl in Italy”, you know what the outside of Gilli looks like, as it is the background of that picture. Local people consider the espresso at Gilli as the best in Florence.
Le Giubbe Rosse
The name means “Red Jackets”, referring to the waiters’ uniforms, which made this place popular in the beginning. The name origins from the fact that the founder’s name was German and too difficult to spell for Italians. “Red jackets” was easier to remember.
In the first decades of 1900, Le Giubbe Rosse was the meeting point for intellectuals, especially important for the Futurism movement, after the publication of the Futurist Manifesto (1909). The place, today, still displays pictures from those times to commemorate its past eminent clients.
Caffè Concerto Paszkowski
The third and last of the historic Cafes in Piazza della Repubblica. When it was founded, in 1846, it went under the name of “Caffè Centrale”, but later changed its name when the Paszkowskis took it over (1904). The place became popular mostly because it used to host an orchestra composed entirely of women. Music has been what made the place unique, and music performances still take place here. Caffè Concerto Paszkowski is today a coveted place for fashion shows and conventions as well. Entirely Art Deco, the place received an official recognition in 1991 as “National Monument”.
Rivoire
Enrico Rivoire was a contractor for the Savoy family, the Italian Royal house, and he opened the “Steam and Chocolate Factory” (Fabbrica di Cioccolato e Vapore) in 1872, in Piazza della Signoria. From here you have a great view on Palazzo Vecchio. However the Rivoire isn’t just a mere Café. In fact, it owes its fame to the talent of its master chocolatiers. Its chocolate coated lemon peels are still super popular among the Florentines, who still honor the chocolate tradition of the place.
Caffè Michelangiolo
In via Cavour you can take a break at Caffè Michelangiolo, which sits there since mid 19th century. Its patrons were patriots and nationalists. The “Macchiaioli” painters’ movement was born here. Nowadays the café is not what it once was, but art and culture never left the place. In fact, the café hosts today the Museum of Leonardo da Vinci and attracts people from all over the city with its exhibitions.
Did you love your café tour in Florence? If yes, let us take you to another special place: Bari!
