The Past World

Pandemics are not a new phenomenon. People in earlier centuries knew how to live with them. The Black Death reached Venice in 1347 and the city of Florence in 1348. The plague occurred regularly after that, and in 1634 another wave hit Florence. This time the Florentines did not give up without fight. At least they didn’t give up without a drink!

Despite the difficulties, the townspeople still wanted to enjoy the good wine produced in the Tuscany region. But how to enjoy wine in restaurants when people are not allowed to touch? When the plague hit in the 17th century, the city’s restaurateurs had managed to arrange it so that the citizens could continue to get their drinks. They had special windows made on the outside walls of the restaurants where they could serve drinks without touching the customers.

During the time of Covid-19, the buchette del vino windows have been brought back into use and people can now enjoy getting drinks again in restaurants despite the pandemic.

And nowadays, not only red wine is available, which was the lifeblood of Florentines in previous centuries, you can also get coffee, ice cream and of course the most popular cocktail of recent years; Aperol Spritz.

Four hundred years ago, the Florentine scholar Francesco Rondinelli, wrote about the plague and how the wine windows ensured social distance and the safe distribution of the important wine.

The caterer handed out a metal tray to the customer, who filled it with coins. The restaurateur disinfected the coins in vinegar before pocketing the payment.

One hundred and fifty such wine windows can still be found within the old center of Florence. Fortunately, they were not filled up. Many of them have been put back into use. Who thought they would be used again?