Walking around the centre of Florence, it’s easy to get lost admiring the masterpieces of the Renaissance and to overlook the tiny “Buchette del vino”. The buchette del vino (wine windows) are small windows emerging from the façades of ancient palaces in the centre of Florence. Through them, over the course of three centuries, millions of bottles and glasses of local wine were bought and sold.
The origins of the buchette del vino go back to the last decades of the 16th century when, do to significant changes in the European politics and economy, many rich Florentine families had to put aside the banking and textile activities, off which they had made their fortunes, in order to reinvent themselves as wine producers. The buchette del vino became a great way to sell directly from producer to consumer, without middlemen.
As of today, there are still about 150 buchette del vino around the city centre but, almost all of them, are either closed up or converted into mailboxes or doorbells.
Also our beloved Palazzo Guadagni has a buchetta del vino, in our case, it is carved on a side door on Via Mazzetta, at the old entrance of the Thouar library. Today, unfortunately, this one as well has been closed up and it is not in use anymore.
However, our Loggia Roof Bar, at the top floor of the Palazzo Guadagni, is a good option if you look for a glass of wine when in Santo Spirito.
