Coffee is an integral part of Italian culture. During the Risorgimento*, cafés were the meeting places for Italian patriots conspiring to revolt against the Austro-Hungarian regime. Even today, they are places for meeting, flirting, and commerce. However, rising prices and mass tourism threaten this Italian art of espresso tasting.
VENICE - In St. Mark's Square in Venice, there is a café that was already in operation when Louis XV was crowned King of France. Café Florian has hosted radical thinkers, revolutionaries, and patriots during the tumultuous Italian Risorgimento. It was within its walls that the idea for one of the world's most famous art exhibitions, the Venice Biennale, was born. Florian embodies the Italian art of good coffee. Entering this establishment, which has been open since 1720, is like stepping into a place where time has stopped between the late 17th century and the Belle Époque. The floor at the entrance is a polychrome mosaic representing the Lion of St. Mark, the symbol of Venice. The staff is extremely elegant, wearing jackets and bow ties. The six salons, where Asian, European, and American tourists sip espressos and cappuccinos, resemble small museums, with mirrors, red velvet sofas, Murano glass sconces, parquet floors inlaid with precious woods, and gold leaf decorations.
Mythical establishments
An espresso at the counter, while a few Venetians chat with the barista in a mix of Italian and dialect, costs 3.50 euros. But, as noted by a Polish tourist who spent much more for his breakfast at a table, "it's a fair price. This café is beautiful and historic." It seems that the crème de la crème of Western culture has sipped coffee at Florian (Lord Byron, Goethe, Madame de Staël, Chateaubriand, Charles Dickens, Marcel Proust, Gabriele D'Annunzio, Stravinsky, etc.), as well as politicians and actors such as François Mitterrand, Jacques Chirac, Catherine Deneuve, and Clint Eastwood. However, Florian is not the only prestigious café in St. Mark's Square. A few steps away is Lavena, open since 1750, where you can enjoy excellent fritelle (a must-try Venetian specialty, fritelle are sweet donuts traditionally prepared during the Carnival of Venice) filled with whipped cream.
Addresses like these reflect how integral coffee has been to Italian life for centuries. Another example can be found in Vicenza, a wealthy industrial town located about 70 kilometers west of Venice. On Piazza dei Signori, just a few meters from the Renaissance basilica designed by architect Andrea Palladio, is Caffè Sorarù, with furniture over 150 years old, crystal jars filled with treats, mirrors, bottles of liqueurs, grappa, and syrups of all colors, as well as an impressive pastry selection. "People even come from other cities to eat our zeppole [typical Carnival pastries] filled with pastry cream or zabaione," explains Maria. She is the mother-in-law of the owner's son and serves customers with the help of waitresses Valentina and Francesca. "Of course, no one eats a pastry without coffee, she assures. Coffee is a must and a ritual in Italy. Abroad, people just ask for a coffee, while in Italy, everyone prefers theirs: some want it in a very hot cup, others like it macchiato with just foamy milk, others take it in a large cup with just a spoonful of foam...".
Discussing over an espresso
Inside, the café is small, so Sorarù's customers sit outside, around small tables under the porch. Some discuss over an espresso or cappuccino, while others read the local newspaper. When they come in to pay, they warmly greet Maria and chat with the young waitresses. The Sorarù family, originally from a small village in the Dolomites, has been running the café in Vicenza for five generations. "We have been serving coffee and pastries since 1820," explains Maria. "Unfortunately, in recent years, we have noticed an increase in the price of raw materials. We buy high-quality coffee, and in 2024, it cost three times more than the previous year. Of course, this increase is reflected in the cost of a cup of coffee."
The average price of a kilo of coffee is now over 12.60 euros, compared to about nine euros in 2021: an increase of over 30%. A real problem for Italians, who consume six billion cups of coffee each year. Katia, a former employee now retired, believes that price increases are completely unjustified. "There is so much speculation. That's why Italians drink less coffee than before, when it was cheaper."
Michael, 25, works in a clothing store and lives with his parents. He says he can afford to go to his favorite café often because he has no family to support. "I think an employee with two children can't afford to do it every day," he remarks. Renata, a retired Italian teacher, shares that she often goes for coffee with her husband Giorgio. "I'm not a fan, but it's a ritual, like for many Italians. I won't give it up, but I go to places where I know it costs 1.20 or 1.30 euros. It shocks me to see that in some places it costs 1.70 euros."
Francesca is a primary school teacher and mother of three. "When you have a large family, every euro counts," she confides. That's why she never goes to a café. In any case, she has noticed the increase in the cost of raw materials. "Cocoa is very expensive; I notice it when I buy cookies for my children." However, Francesca observes that bars and cafés are still full. "Many people think that a coffee at 1.50 euros won't affect their bank account, but they are mistaken. I prefer to skip coffee and save money for a family trip."
According to Giacomo, a retiree, "a coffee can easily charge more than 1.50 euros for an espresso; it's crazy. That's why I don't go anymore. I make my own coffee at home, with the moka." He blames tourists for the cafés being always crowded. "For a German or a Texan, spending five euros for a coffee and a pastry is nothing, because they earn much more than Italians."
Overtourism "colonizes" traditional cafés
Indeed, the most pleasant cafés in the historic centers of Italian cities are often "colonized" by tourists. This is another symptom of the overtourism that has overwhelmed Venice, Florence, and Rome. In Tuscany, for example, there is one restaurant or café for every 94 inhabitants.
Overtourism drives residents out of city centers, raising the cost of rents, food, and of course, coffee. Tourists often ignore the etiquette that governs Italian cafés: Venetians and Romans, for example, do not ask servers to take their picture while they drink their coffee. They also do not give newspapers reserved for customers to small children. For Italians, drinking an espresso is a ritual. "For us, having a coffee and a croissant while reading the newspaper is what the tea ceremony represents for the Japanese," explains Gabriele, a 39-year-old entrepreneur, dipping his cream croissant into a long decaf. "When I need to take a break from work, I go out for a coffee and disconnect for fifteen minutes." Finally, if the last croissant hasn't been eaten by a hungry tourist, he adds, half-jokingly.
*The Risorgimento is the movement for the unification of Italy in the 19th century, led by the House of Savoy
Cover photo: Having an espresso at the counter ® Valentina Saini