Coffee appeared in Europe during the second half of the seventeenth century: its official introduction might be dated in the year of defeat and expulsion of the Turks who were besieging the city of Vienna. After the expulsion of the Ottomans, in their camps some bags full of strange dark beans were found. No one had ever seen those beans and no one knew how to use them. But luckily there was Mr. Kulczycki; he was a western Ukrainian nobleman of Orthodox faith, merchant, spy, diplomat and soldier, and considered a hero by the people of Vienna for his actions at the 1683 Battle of Vienna . He had lived for long time in Turkey, so he knew what to do with the odd beans, he took them and opened a Coffee Shop where a black and bitter drink was served to the Viennese. At the beginning this drink was not appreciated but Mr. Kulczycki didn't resign. He mixed coffee with honey and milk, obtaining a drink that was very similar to our current cappuccino. The success was immediate. This was the first triumph for coffee in the western world.
In the second half of XVI century coffee crossed the east borders to approach Europe: during the period of the great tall-ships sailing over the Mediterranean Sea, coffee was introduced in the main countries of the continent.
The merit for having introduced coffee in Italy, in Venice, must be assigned to the Paduan Prospero Alpino, well-known botanist and doctor, who brought some bags from East.
The Venetians were the first who learned to appreciate the drink. Anyway, at the beginning the drink was very expensive and only the rich people could afford to buy it, because it was sold in the chemist’s shops.
After the first Coffee Shop, so many other shops opened in Venice that the owner of the first Coffee Shop was forced, in order to fight the competitors, to publish a booklet exalting the healthy properties of his product. It was 1716 and this booklet can be considered as the first advertising document of a Coffee Shop.
In 1763 Venice counted 218 shops. In a short time coffee becomes a highly appreciated product, often a sign of friendship and love: in Venice, at the beginning of the eighteenth century, wooers and lovers took the habit to send their favourites some trays full of chocolate and coffee as expression of love.
The merit for having introduced coffee in Italy, in Venice, must be assigned to the Paduan Prospero Alpino, well-known botanist and doctor, who brought some bags from East.
The Venetians were the first who learned to appreciate the drink. Anyway, at the beginning the drink was very expensive and only the rich people could afford to buy it, because it was sold in the chemist’s shops.
After the first Coffee Shop, so many other shops opened in Venice that the owner of the first Coffee Shop was forced, in order to fight the competitors, to publish a booklet exalting the healthy properties of his product. It was 1716 and this booklet can be considered as the first advertising document of a Coffee Shop.
In 1763 Venice counted 218 shops. In a short time coffee becomes a highly appreciated product, often a sign of friendship and love: in Venice, at the beginning of the eighteenth century, wooers and lovers took the habit to send their favourites some trays full of chocolate and coffee as expression of love.
Also in Italy, as for other countries, the introduction of coffe clashed with the opinion of some exponents of the Church, so that some
Christian fanatics instigated Pope Clement VIII to prohibit the "devil drink" to the believers. But the Pope, once tasted a cup, did not prohibit its use. Thanks to the papal approval and benediction,coffee
multiplied its success.
Coffee was appreciated by the culture men of eighteenth century who called it "intellectual drink". Coffee was interesting not only for its characteristic of being a "refreshment infusion", but also for its curative properties (a leaflet printed in Milan in 1801 stated the importance attributed to coffee by some doctors who described it
as a good medicine).
Christian fanatics instigated Pope Clement VIII to prohibit the "devil drink" to the believers. But the Pope, once tasted a cup, did not prohibit its use. Thanks to the papal approval and benediction,coffee
multiplied its success.
Coffee was appreciated by the culture men of eighteenth century who called it "intellectual drink". Coffee was interesting not only for its characteristic of being a "refreshment infusion", but also for its curative properties (a leaflet printed in Milan in 1801 stated the importance attributed to coffee by some doctors who described it
as a good medicine).
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