How Coffee Came to Italy: Venice and the 1600s
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Italy is so closely tied to espresso that it is easy to forget coffee was once a strange, expensive import there. The story of how coffee came to Italy runs through Venice. As a great trading republic with deep links to the Ottoman Empire and Egypt, Venice was one of the first places in Europe to receive coffee beans, in the late 16th century. By 1645 it had what is often cited as the first coffeehouse in Europe outside Ottoman lands and Malta, and by 1763 the city had more than 200 coffee shops.
Here is the verified timeline, the people involved, the famous papal legend and how a luxury for wealthy Venetians became an everyday Italian ritual.
Key takeaways
- Coffee reached Italy in the second half of the 16th century via Mediterranean trade routes, with Venice as a key gateway.
- The botanist Prospero Alpini brought coffee into the Republic of Venice from Egypt in 1580 and described the plant in print in 1591.
- Venice is credited with Europe’s first coffeehouse outside the Ottoman Empire and Malta, in 1645.
- The story that Pope Clement VIII “baptized” coffee around 1600 is a popular but uncertain anecdote.
In this article
- Before Italy: coffee in the Ottoman world
- How coffee came to Italy through Venice
- Timeline
- The Church and the papal legend
- Beyond Venice
- FAQ
Before Italy: coffee in the Ottoman world
By the mid-1500s, coffee was already a social drink in the Ottoman Empire. According to the Ottoman chronicler Ibrahim Peçevi, the first coffeehouse in Istanbul opened in 1554 in the Tahtakale district. European travelers began noticing the drink soon after: the German physician and botanist Leonhard Rauwolf described it in Aleppo in 1573, calling it “chaube.” He is often cited as the first European to mention coffee.
Italian merchants, especially Venetians, traded constantly with these ports. Coffee did not have to travel far to reach them. To learn more about the coffeehouse culture that came first, read our article on Ottoman coffee houses.
How coffee came to Italy through Venice
Venice’s wealth was built on trade with the eastern Mediterranean, including Constantinople, the Levant and Egypt. When a new commodity appeared in those markets, Venetian merchants were well placed to bring it home.
The scholars came first
Coffee showed up in Italian intellectual circles before it showed up in cups. The first mention of coffee in a printed European text is credited to the botanist Charles de l’Écluse in 1575, who learned about it from Alphoncius Pansius in Padua, a university city in Venetian territory.
Then came Prospero Alpini, a physician and botanist from the Venetian Republic who spent time in Egypt. He imported coffee into the Republic of Venice from Egypt in 1580, and in 1591 he published the first European description of the coffee plant.
A luxury for the rich
In its early years in Venice, coffee was rare and expensive. Venetian merchants introduced it to wealthy customers and charged them heavily for it. It was a novelty for people who could afford exotic goods, not yet a daily habit.
1645: the first coffeehouse
The decisive step came in 1645, when Venice is credited with opening the first European coffeehouse outside the Ottoman Empire and Malta. That idea, a public room where anyone with a coin could sit, drink coffee and talk, proved contagious. By 1763 Venice alone had more than 200 coffee shops.
The most famous survivor of that era opened in 1720 on Piazza San Marco. Its story is in our article on Caffè Florian in Venice.
Timeline: how coffee came to Italy
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1554 | First coffeehouse in Istanbul, according to Ibrahim Peçevi |
| 1565 | After the Great Siege of Malta, Turkish captives held by the Knights of St John prepare coffee on the island |
| 1573 | Leonhard Rauwolf describes coffee in Aleppo |
| 1575 | First mention of coffee in a European text, linked to a source in Padua |
| 1580 | Prospero Alpini imports coffee into the Republic of Venice from Egypt |
| 1591 | Alpini publishes the first European description of the coffee plant |
| Around 1600 | Often-cited (uncertain) date of Pope Clement VIII’s approval of coffee |
| 1633 | First known mention of a coffee shop in Malta |
| 1645 | First coffeehouse in Venice, credited as Europe’s first outside the Ottoman Empire and Malta |
| 1720 | Caffè Florian opens on Piazza San Marco |
| 1763 | Venice has more than 200 coffee shops |
| 1884 | Angelo Moriondo of Turin patents an early espresso-style machine |
| 1933 | The moka pot is invented in Italy, later produced by Bialetti |
The Church and the papal legend
Not everyone welcomed the new drink. Some Catholic clergy in Italy reportedly opposed coffee, calling it the “devil’s drink.” The most famous story says that Pope Clement VIII tasted coffee, liked it and gave it his blessing, with 1600 the year most often cited.
It is a wonderful story, and it is repeated everywhere, but historians treat it as uncertain. There is no firm evidence of the exact words or date. It is best enjoyed as a legend that captures how quickly coffee won people over, not as documented fact.
Beyond Venice
Venice was not the only route. Malta, in the middle of the Mediterranean, had coffee early: after the 1565 siege, Turkish captives held by the Knights of St John were preparing it, and a Maltese coffee shop is mentioned in 1633. Some accounts suggest coffee reached Naples through maritime trade via Sicily and Malta, though this is uncertain.
Over the following centuries, coffee spread through Italian cities and took on regional forms. Naples became known for traditions like the caffè sospeso, the “suspended coffee” paid forward for a stranger. Turin produced Angelo Moriondo’s 1884 patent, an early step toward espresso. The habits that define coffee in Italy today, explained in our guide to Italian coffee rules, are the result of that long evolution.
From Venetian luxury to the corner bar
| Then (1600s Venice) | Now (Italy today) |
|---|---|
| Rare, imported luxury | Everyday habit at a local bar |
| No espresso machines or moka pots yet | Espresso and moka pot |
| Expensive for wealthy buyers | Inexpensive and quick, often drunk standing |
| Coffeehouses as new social spaces | The bar as a daily meeting point |
Bring a taste of Italy home
If you want the bold, dark cup that most people associate with Italian coffee, our Italian Roast is our darkest roast, a slow-roasted blend of specialty grade Arabica and Robusta with a smoky, intense profile and a thick crema. For a slightly brighter shot, African Espresso blends coffees from Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia in a medium-dark roast with red fruit and chocolate notes. Both are roasted 1 to 5 days before delivery. Browse our blends for more espresso options.
How coffee came to Italy: FAQ
When did coffee arrive in Italy?
In the second half of the 16th century, through Mediterranean trade. Prospero Alpini’s import into the Republic of Venice in 1580 is one of the earliest dated records.
What was the first coffeehouse in Italy?
Venice is credited with Europe’s first coffeehouse outside the Ottoman Empire and Malta in 1645. The famous Caffè Florian opened later, in 1720.
Did a pope really bless coffee?
The story of Pope Clement VIII approving coffee around 1600 is popular but uncertain. Treat it as a legend.
Why did coffee reach Venice first?
Venice was a major trading power with strong commercial ties to the Ottoman Empire, the Levant and Egypt, where coffee was already common.
Sources
- History of coffee. Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org
Facts checked in October 2026.
Keep reading: Caffè Florian, Venice · Ottoman Coffee Houses · Blend