The birth of Italian coffee culture Surprisingly, coffee did not immediately become popular in Italy. It was first brought to Venice from Istanbul in the 16th century and received an extremely negative response from the church. It was considered a devilish invention for several reasons. The priests were confused by the origin of the drink from Muslim countries, as well as the powerful stimulating effect that it has on the human body. All of this was seen as evidence of Satan’s tricks. Only after Pope Clement VIII tried and approved the magic drink, coffee in Italy began to gain incredible popularity. In 1640, the first coffee shop was opened in Venice (now it is called Florian), and by 1768 there were already 218. For comparison, in England the first such establishment appeared in 1652, and in Vienna only in 1683 …
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