Neapolitan Coffee Tour
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Symbol of conviviality, a daily gathering that unites people and stories, an icon that represents the beating heart of the city. Coffee in Naples is not just a simple beverage.
Walking through the streets of the historic center, from Piazza San Domenico Maggiore to Piazza del Gesù and along the decumani, you can smell the strong aromas of the blends used by the baristas. Having an espresso at the counter is not just a custom, but a ritual: the hands of the clock slow down for a few moments, just long enough for a sip, and you face the day with an extra smile.
Entering a café feels like being welcomed into an extended family where a “tazzulella 'e cafè” (cup of coffee) is always ready. It can be bitter and bold, as tradition dictates, or sweetened with a typical creamy mixture of sugar and coffee drops. For those with a sweeter tooth, there's the nocciolato, where the taste of coffee blends with the softness of hazelnuts.
"Ah! Che bello 'o ccafè! Sulo a Napule 'o ssanno fa! E nisciuno se spiega pecché è 'na vera specialità. Ah! C'a ddore 'e ccafè ca se sente pe' 'sta città. E 'o nervuso nervuso comm'è ogni tanto so vva a piglià"
"Ah! How wonderful is the coffee! Only in Naples they know how to make it! And no one can explain why it's such a real specialty. Ah! With the smell of coffee that fills this whole city. And the nervous, you know, sometimes he just has to go get it""Domenico Modugno - "'O Cafè" song
In the narrow alleys and noble buildings like Palazzo Venezia or Palazzo di Sangro di Sansevero, some still prefer the cuccumella, the ancient Neapolitan coffee pot once used in the office of Trentaremi. Each sip is a return to the past, a dive into the heart of Naples.
The Neapolitan passion for coffee dates back to the 18th century. Even back then, the people of Naples had developed a true cult for the "black gold," so much so that, in 1734, King Charles III of Bourbon commissioned the construction of the first coffee factory in Naples. Soon after, coffee became a fundamental part of the social life of Neapolitans.
Neapolitan coffee leaves a long-lasting, persistent trace on the palate, almost like a promise to return.