In Florence, Italy, small picturesque windows offer a glimpse of old-world architecture, and some also serve, once again, as a wine tasting place.
These small windows date back centuries and were once used by winemakers who sold their wine directly to customers. They have become useful for the plague, according to Buchette del Vino, an Italian cultural agreement committed to shop windows.
The plague ravaged northern and central Italy from 1629 to 1631, and these small storefronts presented a way to buy and sell wine, while restricting the spread of germs.
Like other methods of contactless delivery, wine samples are now experiencing a resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic, which this year led Italy to impose a national blockade. The country has recorded more than 251,000 cases of coronavirus and 35,000 deaths from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University.
According to Buchette del Vino, two restaurants in Florence, Osteria delle Brache and Babae, now sell wine in their storefronts. Vivoli Glacier has also reactivated its demonstration display case to serve ice cream and coffee.
The stained glass windows of Florence were described in an e-book published in 1634, according to Buchette del Vino. Its author, the educator Francesco Rondinelli, reported that traders using windows the plague of just 400 years ago understood the contagion.
Sellers used the windows to pass a bottle of wine to a customer, as well as a steel platform to collect money. The merchant then disinfected the customer’s portions with vinegar, Rondinelli writes. According to Buchette del Vino, consumers can also fill their own vial with a steel tube through the window.
At that time, the stained glass windows, now known as “buchetta”, were called “sportello”, which they open or open, according to the association.
Buchette del Vino has and maps the windows of the Tuscany region in Italy. “The layout of the display cases wants and attests to the lifestyle and state of conservation of Florentine display cases,” the organization writes on its website.
A year ago, Buchette del Vino placed a plaque on Babae’s window, to designate it as the official “buchetta”. Now, “the buchetta in his bar has discovered a new life,” the organization wrote on Facebook, sharing a photo of the showcase in action.
So far, the organization has mapped 28 locations in Tuscany with storefronts. Dozens are alone in florence’s historic center.
First August 12, 2020/8: 59
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