International Coffee Day celebrates the world's most famous drink, but especially the one most loved by Italians.
October 1st is International Coffee Day. It is the day of one of the most iconic drinks for Italians around the world. All Italians have coffee and an espresso machine in their home. Today we celebrate the world day of a drink that every country declines and offers differently: from the Neapolitan espresso to the American long, to the Moroccan, to the Brazilian and many others.
Discover with us the history, tradition and goodness of the tasty Italian espresso, famous in the world.
The history of coffee in Italy
On international coffee day, a small ex cursus on the birth of the union between Italy and coffee cannot be missing. The history of coffee in Italy has ancient origins and in particular, is extremely linked to the explorations of Italian traders in the East who at the end of the sixteenth century brought sacks of these dark beans from the most remote countries of Asia.
In the beginning, the drink, like almost all the more exotic drinks that have come down to us, was sold in pharmacies. Despite the high initial cost, the rise and success of coffee in Italy could not be stopped until the second half of the eighteenth century when it had now become the drink of the courts living in Italy: from Naples to Venice to Milan. From this moment on, coffee begins to become the drink of conviviality and family, of friendship and an opportunity to chat and discuss one's moments of serenity, whether at court or in the slums.
This is how coffee arrived at the end of the nineteenth century in all the regions of Italy that have declined, albeit with small nuances, its unique flavour in the most disparate ways.
In cities like Naples, coffee is now a consolidated ritual that cannot be eradicated, it is a tradition that passes from generation to generation, like espresso machines and which is present in all moments of our life.
International coffee day: between events and UNESCO heritage
As we have made you understand, coffee in Italy is an important tradition, so much so that in recent years many exponents of the sector are trying to include the tradition of Italian coffee among the intangible assets of humanity as a UNESCO heritage. Through the collection of signatures and various initiatives in Turin, Milan, Venice, Trieste, Bologna, Rome, Naples, Lecce, Pescara, Palermo and many others, the candidacy of this intangible tradition is supported. From visits to historic Italian cafes such as Caffè Florian in Venice or Gambrinus in Naples to multisensory events and historical debates, many initiatives populate Italian cities on World Coffee Day.
There are many attractions and events that you can visit on this day; if you want to use this day to offer your contribution to the cause to make the coffee ritual an heritage of humanity, you can find the online petition from the sign.
What are you waiting for? Go to an Italian bar and savor the taste of real traditional Italian espresso and let yourself be carried away by its flavors and events in the culture of our country.
