Turin: Cafes with Renaissance history
The capital of Piedmont is rich in palaces, viewpoints and museums. We already told you what to see during a weekend in Turin. Today we bring you an article that is a journey through the Italian Renaissance. Discover with Ice Tech the cafes with the history of Turin.
Turin is a perfect place to get to know the Renaissance history of Italy through its cafes. The Renaissance is the time before the unification of the country, whose first capital was Turin. Here lived the Savoy, the future kings of Italy.
Until the beginning of the 20th Century, politicians and intellectuals from all over the peninsula arrived in the city. Imagine the conversations of that time! The cafes were the walls that gathered all the discussions and debates of the problems of the people, of the Royal House, etc. Turin is full of cafes with history, which currently try to reflect and preserve the style from that era.
Furthermore, the coffee in Turin is delicious and, although taking it in these places with history and charm is not cheap, you can enter without problems to take photos and live the Renaissance story.
CAFÉS WITH TURIN HISTORY: CAFFÈ MULASSANO
The Cafe Mulassano (Piazza Castello, 15) was one of the privileged meeting places of the nobles of Turin and also of the artists of the nearby Teatro Regio, including Maria Callas. Its marble tables and antique mirrors make this cafe one of the most classic in the city.
CAFES WITH TURIN HISTORY: BARATTI & MILANO
Very close to the Café Mulassano, we can find the Baratti & Milano (Piazza Castello, 29). Already in 1854 the owners, Ferdinando Baratti and Edoardo Milano, had opened a small patisserie. Their cakes would become one of the best known in Piedmont, so that the Royal House of Savoy would choose Baratti & Milano as their official supplier. Here is where the Cremino was invented, a chocolate bonbon with hazelnuts that is still famous.
You will find everything you can expect from a 19th Century cafe. Take its famous hot chocolate. It’s exquisite!
CAFES WITH TURIN HISTORY: FIORIO
The Cafè Fiorio (Via Po 8), is one of the oldest ones in Turin. Since 1780 it was already one of the most typical ones in Italy. In 1845 it was renovated, adding red velvet sofas, mirrors, frescoes… Giving it its current appearance. Here, practically all the protagonists of the Italian “Risorgimento” stopped by, in addition to other personalities of the time.
Many of its clients were conservatives, which gave it nicknames like “caffé dei codini” -the coffee of the ponytails, the typical hair of the conservatives- or the “caffé dei Macchiavelli” -the coffee of the Machiavelli, for the themes of their gatherings. But it was not frequented only by Italians: Herman Melville and Mark Twain were among their illustrious clients.
The cafe is also an ice cream parlour and is famous for its gianduja flavour: a Piedmontese chocolate with hazelnut paste well known throughout Italy.
Here we have told you 3 of the best cafes with history of Turin. If you travel to this Italian city, do not hesitate to visit them and ask for a good coffee. If you want it with ice, remember to have, ICE TECH.