What are literary cafés? They are places where you can enjoy a cup of coffee while being immersed in culture. In these cafés, you’re not just sipping coffee—you’re stepping into a centuries-old cultural tradition. These establishments are cultural salons where revolutionary plans were whispered, poems were born, and ideas brewed stronger than the coffee.
Coffee, both as a beverage and a gathering space, has played a crucial role in European history thanks to its power to bring people together.
Until the 1700s, cultured conversation and coffee were reserved mainly for noblemen (always men), gathered in private salons in wealthy homes. But things changed. Gradually, coffee houses became the hub of literary and political discussion in Europe’s major cities (though still largely among the aristocracy).
Artists, intellectuals, and revolutionaries of the time began to frequent these cafés, which, spreading throughout Italy, mapped the new growth of new currents of thought and coffee tradition.
The story begins in 1720 with the opening of Caffè Florian in Venice, founded by Floriano Francesconi. Nestled under the arcades of Piazza San Marco, it quickly became a magnet for thinkers, artists, and libertines. Casanova, Goethe, and Lord Byron were among its early patrons, drawn not only by the coffee but by the electric atmosphere of debate and creativity.
Today, breakfast or even just a coffee break at Caffè Florian is a must-have experience for anyone enchanted by Italian history and culture. Who knows? You might meet the ghost of Shelley, enjoying his cappuccino!
Venice and the Enlightenment
From Venice, the concept spread across the peninsula. Caffè Greco in Rome (opened in 1760) and Caffè Pedrocchi in Padua became hubs for intellectuals and patriots. In the 19th century, these cafés were frequented by members of the Carboneria, a secret society plotting to liberate Italy from foreign rule. The cafés were, in essence, incubators of the Risorgimento—the movement for Italian unification.
The Golden Age: 19th and Early 20th Century
As Italy unified in 1861, literary cafés flourished. They became the preferred haunts of poets, novelists, and philosophers. Caffè Giubbe Rosse in Florence was the cradle of the Futurist movement, while Caffè Tommaseo in Trieste hosted the likes of James Joyce and Italo Svevo.
Caffè Gran Gambrinus was founded in 1860 and once frequented by literary greats like D’Annunzio and Hemingway. The café is named after Gambrinus, king of Flanders and the legendary inventor of beer. It’s located on Via Chiaia, between Piazza Trieste e Trento and Piazza del Plebiscito, in Naples.
The clientele of these cafés was eclectic: dandies, dissidents, bohemians, and bourgeois intellectuals. The atmosphere was often smoky, the décor ornate, and the conversations—ranging from existentialism to espresso—intense. Waiters in waistcoats served vermouth and pastries as heated debates unfolded beneath gilded mirrors and frescoed ceilings.
The Modern Revival
Many of these historic cafés still exist, complete with marble counters and velvet banquettes, but a new generation has emerged—sleek, modern spaces that host book launches, poetry slams, and political roundtables. The espresso machines are state-of-the-art, but the spirit remains the same: a place where minds meet over coffee and conversation.
The clientele is even more eclectic. The artists and writers are still there, but so are students with laptops, retirees with newspapers, and travelers with guidebooks. The conversations may be new, but the essence endures: connection, contemplation, and caffeine.
To frequent an Italian literary café is to take part in a living tradition. Whether you’re scribbling verses in a notebook or simply watching the world go by, you’re part of a centuries-old ritual—one that proves that sometimes, the most powerful ideas begin with a cup of coffee.
