Watch the beauty of Renaissance art, rich culture, and history come to life in modern-day cafes in Italy
By Grace Enright
Blog 1
More Espresso, Please!
Florence locals tend to find themselves enjoying their morning in a bookstore. Why might this be?
Being a coffee drinker, I was thrilled to come to Florence and try drinking coffee like a local. Something that shocked me was that each cafe normally is linked with a bar full of alcoholic drinks. Not only this, but some cafes are bookstores, just like the ones we visited during class. This is not normal in the United States. We may have a café inside of a library, but it is not regular to see a café, bar, and bookstore combined.
Little did I know that there is a history of book cafes, dating back to the late 1600s. These sorts of establishments became a moment of innovation and a sense of community. The most historical moment was when the Enlightenment artists went to these cafes. It wasn’t until 1800 that the literary café became a spot for those who enjoyed coffee, books, and culture.
The literary café began in France, where the concept rapidly spread. The first literary café was Café Le Procope, in Paris. In Italy, the first literary café was Café Florian in Venice.
Thanks to these cafes, this was where the Enlightenment spread ideas of equality and freedom. The cafes turned into a place where anyone could be, no matter their social status or ranking. The concept of these cafés was great for Europe and normalized the idea of equality.
In the early 1700’s, there were more than three thousand literary cafes in Paris alone. The idea of these café’s brought the idea of sitting with a hot drink while discussing politics or economics. This type of café was made for a sense of gathering intellectual ideas and opinions with colleagues and friends.
Many of these cafes were frequented by artists, writers, and figures from the Renaissance such as Ella Fitzgerald, Casanova, and Thomas Mann.
Today, the literary cafés are a little different. They are still around today, but they have transformed into also being a place to sit and have an alcoholic beverage. They’re meant for people to chat with who have similar interests. These cafes should be kept as they’re a representation of cultural heritage.
Now the next time you’re traveling to England, France, or Italy, enjoy and relax in a café to sip on a beverage and dive into the historic values of the café. Imagine that you’re in the 18th century during the Enlightenment period, chatting with a friend! In the four literary café’s that we visited; each was different. The first café we visited, Brac, was more of a hidden contemporary café, cozy and warm. This is the type of place I would do homework or get a late-night dinner with a friend. The café side of the bookstore contained pastries, snacks, and books all around. Walking into the second café, Todo Modo, I didn’t realize how big the bookstore would be. Turning a right on the corner there was a huge café and multiple wooden seating areas for those needing to do work. Lined on the walls are books and stationery, including espresso mugs pens, and notebooks. The third café was probably the most different among them all, being a cinema, bookstore, and restaurant.
This cinema shows movies every night, but it is a popular hall for students to sit up in comfy chairs and do work with a cup of coffee. The last stop, La Cite, reminded me a bit of the first café. It had an upstairs and was lined with seating. There was one bar in the middle of the café that carried alcoholic drinks and coffee. With outdoor seating and indoor seating, the vintage décor in this café created an old and historic atmosphere
Blog 2
A Florence Cinema Becomes So Much More
Giunti Odeon re-opened in 2023 to become the new spot for locals to relax and watch movies.
Opening in 1922, Giunti Odeon lies in Palazzo dello Strozzino, a Renaissance piazza in Florence.
Just in 2023, Giunti Odeon was renovated into a bookstore, movie theatre, café and restaurant to the public. Designed by architect, Andre Benaim to keep a home for books and coffee. On November 4, 2023, Odeon was created to become a meeting place for cultural experiences. Films can be seen throughout the day in a 198-seat movie theatre. The renovation of the theatre worried some, that the historical factors of the theatre would be too modernized.
The atmosphere, columns, velvet chairs, and smell of the 18th century were a few factors that Florence locals were nervous about changing. This theatre has gone untouched for 100 years but the Florence locals are still able to see films in the theatre and enjoy the historical features of Giunti Odeon.
Not only is Giunti Odeon a cinema and café, but it is also a venue for art exhibitions, concerts, theatre performances, and reading workshops for children.
Giunti Odeon is 1,5000 square meters, the bookstore is on the ground floor, while the movie theatre is up the stairs, showing original movies throughout the day and during the dark after the bookstore closes. It’s one of the only places to watch movies with its original language and Italian subtitles.
The restoration of the theatre wasn’t to take away from its value. The decoration of the columns, the fountains, lighting, and tapestries were a few additions to add to the luxurious and historic bookstore. A group of petitioners was needed for this change to occur.
This project would not have been developed without Giunti Editore and the Germani family, the owners of the theatre for the last 86 years, to create a new start to the theatre marking tis 100th year anniversary. Gloria Germani, director of Cinema Odeon said, “We are feeling absolutely positive about this new synergy with the Florentine Giunti group, which has been synonymous with quality in the world of books and culture for 180 years” (The Florentine Net)
Germani explained that the numbers were dropping due to the pandemic, and this renovation has completely aided the value of Giunti Odeon, attracting many locals and visitors.
Blog 3
Differences of Kitchens
Come with us to explore what each literary cafe has to offer!
We discovered four different kinds of literary cafes, and each cafe had some sort of restaurant or food portion on its menu.
Brac:
Potato and ginger tortellini, agnolotti gorgonzola and smoked oranges, lasagna, flowering rice. Brac contains many vegan and gluten-free pastries near their coffee bar as well. Banana bread, cakes, and croissants are provided depending on the day and what is in season.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Brac is a cafe during the day that turns into a vegan and vegetarian restaurant at night!
Todo Modo: chocolate cake, cake, gelato and a good cappuccino selection
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Todo Modo is more of a study spot than a restaurant, as well as a wide selection of books to choose from!
Giunti Odeon
Giunti Odeon had the by far best restaurant options including a large range of choices. They carry salads, and pasta, and have a list of their specials like fresh Mediterranean tuna or wholemeal pici with sauce. The desserts include cheesecake, chocolate flan, and a cake of the day.
Hours: Everyday 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday’s and Saturdays until 2 am.
Giunti Odeon could be the most versatile out of the 4 literary cafes. With a vast space to host events, as well as films, book store, cafe, restaurant and a hang out spot.
La Cite
Hours: 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.
La Cite was a bit like Todo Modo, and carried more beverages and pastries rather than a food bar. La Cite is a cozy cafe with an upstairs and plenty seating to drink alcohol or coffee.
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