"This precious beverage that spreads cheerful excitement all over the body was called the beverage of intellectuals, the friend of men of letters, scientists and poets because, as it strikes the nerves, it clarifies ideas, makes imagination more active and accelerates the thinking process".
That is how Pellegrino Artusi described coffee at the end of the 19th century in his book "La scienza in cucina e l`arte di mangiare bene" ("The Science of Cooking and the Art of Eating Well").

And he was absolutely right.

Chocolate, another exotic product that arrived in Europe after long journeys to the Western Indies, was a luxury good, a beverage that the members of the aristocracy sipped in their villas in Florence or in the countryside.

The cafes founded in the town centre between the 18th and the 19th centuries became the headquarters of literary magazines or of artistic movements, places of debate, places where people met and, sometimes, had fiery discussions.

If you are spending your holidays in Florence, after having visited museums and monuments a coffee pause in one of the town`s historic cafes is a must.

In Piazza della Repubblica you will find Giubbe Rosse, the place where Futurists met, Paszkowski, which has been declared a national monument, and Gilli, the last example of Belle-Epoque-style cafe in Florence.

In Piazza della Signoria you have Rivoire and in Via Cavour Michelangelo (where the Macchiaioli used to meet).

After a hot chocolate (Robiglio) or an ice cream (Vivoli) with your children, it is time to go back to your apartment in villa in Florence for dinner.