News from Italy
A Roman coffee legend: the ancient Caffè Greco
by Ayfer Selamoğlu
I’m walking in the historical city center of Rome. Every square, every corner, every cobblestone street unknowingly drags me into the past. Between monuments, obelisks, statues and pools, the doors of the corridor of time open, I pass from the ancient world to the Renaissance and from there to the Baroque period…
Finally, I arrive at Via Condotti, Europe’s most elegant and decent street. Trinita Dei Monti Church shines like a rare jewel at the top of the Spanish Steps in Piazza de Spagna. Starting from Bernini’s ‘La Fontana della Barcaccia’ I take a glance towards the hill. I turned my left. At the foot of the magnificent steps of Trinita Dei Monti, The legendary number 86, which has lived for almost two and a half centuries, stands before me. As soon as I see the door of Antico Caffè Greco, I feel peace…
I leave my troubles, haste, and tiredness out like a shawl, and enter my second home in Rome, which welcomes me with its warm covered with red colors and wood. As always, I am fascinated by its legendary atmosphere, elegant interiors full of cultural echoes, thought-provoking tables made of ancient marble…
I was thinking to continue reading my book from where I left off yesterday, at the meeting point of the intellectuals group consisting of literary figures, poets, writers and painters for nearly 300 years, and I would take little notes for my writings. I sat on the red sofa in the corner. With the small marble table in front of me, I could concentrate on my reading and writing. One of the waiters in a black frag arrived with a smiling courtesy. I ordered espresso and chocolate Pralineria, which intoxicated me with its aromatic scent…
I started to read my book that I took out of my bag. When I looked up, I saw an artist painting with his easel open. It was Guttuso. He should have been drawing ‘Il Caffè Greco’. He put down his brush and began to watch the people who came through the door. It was like he was waiting for someone. His eyes stopped when he came to me. Renato Guttuso, one of Italy’s most respected painters, essayist and politician was smiling at me. A moment later, the painter and writer Giorgio de Chirico entered the door. Ever since he moved into his home in Piazza di Spagna, he’d wandered the city center streets every morning, then came to Caffè Greco for a drink at noon. After greeting Guttuso, he sat down at the small table next to me. Chirico was drinking his cappuccino and Guttuso was drawing. Lord Byron was taking a break from the poem he was writing and walking towards the cafe’s uniquely beautiful washbasin. He was happily exhibiting one of those magnificent dance figures as he was leaving…
At the table right next to the bar was sitting Arthur Schopenhauer. His beloved white poodle named ‘spirit of the world’ was also with him. Goethe was writing something on the paper in front of him at the large table ahead. At the same table, Gogol was writing his book ‘Dead Souls’, and Stendhal was writing ‘Italian Stories’ from Italy, which he loved very much. Two chairs ahead, Hans Christian Andersen was thinking about one of the fairy tales he was going to tell the children. What surprise! Viktor Ivanov was also here. He was painting his painting ‘Caffè Greco’. While admiring the surroundings, I saw the Bavarian Prince in front of me. He, like me, was admiring the elegant and richly intertwined halls filled with red sofas, marble tables, mirrors and works of art…
A voice was saying, “Signora, your coffee.” I turned my head. It was the Caffè Greco cultured, polite waiter who took my order. My time travel, which started in Trastevere, must have continued…
This was normal! Because everything was the same except the numbers. Its philosophy has not changed since its establishment. This legendary place was founded in 1760 by a Greek gentleman, Nicola Della Maddalena, with 4 rooms and a collection of more than 150 works of art. The famous French writer and essayist George Steiner said that “Europe is his cafes”. He saw the historic literary cafes of the Old Continent as real institutions. Because in the middle of the tables of Europe’s most elite clubs, the elites were meeting to discuss everything, transforming European living rooms into instruments of literary, political and tradition culture. And so, from Paris to Venice, Vienna, Lisbon, and Rome, cafes were becoming the crossroads of artists of all kinds, spaces of the Enlightenment that could influence public opinion of the time. Caffe Greco was one of these special places. Today, the symbol of the immortal city represents an epic stop on walks through the center of the city. Numerous pages and poems have been devoted to this space, such as the work of painter Renato Guttuso, who dedicated one of his famous works to this place, which is exhibited today in Madrid. Many writers, philosophers, painters, sculptors and musicians have contributed to making Caffè Greco an excellent literary cafe. Musicians, historians, princesses and cardinals became the regulars of this cafe. During the years of war and occupation, it turned into a cultural space where thinkers, writers, opponents took refuge and had their intellectual discussions. Such literary debates are still held with the participation of Rome’s leading cultural, literary and artistic figures. The “Romanists Group”, an ancient community of scholars and academics, especially those who love the city of Rome, meets here on the first Wednesday of every month. If you go to Caffè Greco on the first Wednesday of the month, you can witness the intelligentsia meetings in the Omnibus hall…
More than 250 years of history in the name of quality: Caffè Greco has never compromised on its quality and philosophy in every period; since the first day it opened its doors, it has been dedicated to researching and selecting the best quality in every product it offers; tried to survive even in times of war by reducing the size of the cup, not its quality; It continued to offer its customers products with the same taste.
Come on, gift yourself quality, not constant consumption. Let it be called Caffe Greco, albeit occasionally…
