The history of coffee in Venice

It was probably in 1615 that coffee made its first appearance in Europe, where it was introduced by Venetian merchants following the shipping routes that linked the Far East with Venice.

Its introduction has been attributed to the botanist Prospero Alpini, who was the doctor to the Venetian consul in Egypt. Venice, also known as the Serenissima, was the first Italian city to smell the aroma of coffee, which later spread throughout the peninsula. Because of its strategic position between east and west, Venice became the point of reference for merchants not only from Italy, but from other countries too, especially those of northern and central Europe.

Before being consumed as a simple drink, coffee was taken to exploit some of its medicinal and digestive properties, as a result of which it was rather expensive. As soon as it became clear that coffee was sufficiently popular to fill the state coffers, the first coffee shops opened up. In Italy, coffee became a precious gift to offer on special occasions, and it was presented as a token of friendship and love. In fact, it became a tradition for lovers to send their beloved trays heaped with coffee and chocolate.

The consolidation of coffee came up against a few problems for religious reasons. Some priests were against the spread of this drink, which had initially been developed and consumed by Muslims. They saw it as the ‘devil’s drink’, for which consumers should be excommunicated, and put pressure on Pope Clement VIII to ban it. Before prohibiting its use, the Pope wanted to try it out for himself, and he was so enthusiastic that he decided not only not to ban it, but to go so far as to baptise it and turn it into a ‘Christian drink’.