Wine windows: An old idea that’s back in fashion in Florence. 

16^th century

Imagine you were a thirsty, 16^th century Florentine, and your wine flask was empty, no problem. You could just pop down to a wine window in one of the big palaces, and ring the bell for a refill. Wouldn’t it be great if you could do that today? Well, you can… sort of… 

Wine Windows

During the Renaissance, Florence had hundreds of these wine-dispensing windows. And the remnants of them can still be seen throughout the city. They are called buchette del vino, which literally means little wine holes. But today we call them wine windows, which sounds a bit more sophisticated, as no one likes to drink at a hole in the wall. 

Opening Again

And some of these holes in the wall – I mean wine windows – are open for business again. The buildings they are in were once grand palaces, but over the years, they’ve been converted into businesses, apartments, hotels, etc. 

So restaurants and bars that are lucky enough to be in buildings with these little wine windows are chipping off the years of paint that have sealed them up and are serving glasses of wine through them. So, while you can’t refill your flask, you can knock or ring and get a nice glass of wine. 

But before we talk about where to find them and how to use them, let’s talk about the history of this curious bit of Florentine architecture.

What They Look Like

If you pay attention as you stroll along the streets of Florence, you will surely see some of these wine windows. Most of them have been closed up, but the framework is still there to be seen. They are usually small with an arched top and just about the right size to pass a bottle of wine through. 

In fact, that’s just what they were designed to do. They were originally made to fit the dimensions of the traditional Tuscan fiasco: that bulb-shaped bottle with the bottom wrapped in a straw basket.

1500s – In the Beginning…

It all started in the 1500s, when Florence was filled with wealthy families who had grand palazzi (palaces) in the city center and vineyards in the surrounding countryside. Apparently, they were allowed to sell small quantities of their wine (flasks) from their city palaces directly to customers without having to declare it for tax purposes. 

So, the wealthy, who were always looking to make a bit of tax-free income, installed these small buchette del vino, or wine windows, in their palaces. There would usually be a bell for thirsty clients to ring. Then the steward would open the little door and do the deed (fill the client’s empty flask).

At this time in history, everyone drank wine. It was a safer choice than water, it was considered as essential nourishment and even medicine. So business must have been pretty brisk.

1600s and the Plague

Now let’s skip ahead about 100 years… The bubonic plague arrived in Florence about 1630. It was the first major plague since the wine windows had been installed, and these little windows proved they were useful for avoiding something other than taxes. 

Plagues weren’t new, and people were already aware of the benefits of social distancing and disinfecting. So, these little wine windows were a perfect way to conduct transactions in safety.

During plague time, wine sellers refused to refill bottles. They would either sell pre-filled flasks, or they would install a metal spout that they could pour wine into from the inside, and the purchaser could fill his container under it on the outside – avoiding contamination. 

To collect their money, the seller would place a metal scoop in the window for payment. When he retrieved the scoop of coins, he would immediately throw them into a container of vinegar to disinfect them. The wine windows provided a very practical way to make transactions without risking infection.

2020 Pandemic

Through the years, most of the buchette del vino were sealed up and forgotten. However, when our modern pandemic hit and social distancing was required, some Florentine businesses began to think about how they could use those little wine windows. 

Vivoli Gelato began to sell gelato and coffee through their wine window, and they credit it with saving them financially during that difficult time. A few others began dispensing wine and even sandwiches through their long disused windows.

Today

And now, the part you’ve been waiting for… Yes, you can once again buy wine through some of Florence’s wine windows. There are a handful of them up and running in the center of Florence, but there seem to be more opening all the time. I’ll give you a list of the one’s I know about a bit later on.

Why Oh Why?

Why would anyone want to buy a glass of wine from a hole in the wall, then drink it out on the street, when they could go inside and sit in a comfortable chair at a lovely table?

So, why do people love these wine windows? Well, I can only tell you about my experience… I’m not really a wine drinker, so had only planned to take photos. We were walking down the street, and I wasn’t desiring a drink and I didn’t have wine on my mind. 

Then I spotted a little wine window. It was cute and I took a photo. Then I noticed the charming little knocker on the door. I looked around and there was no one else on the street. So, I knocked. Then when the little door opened, I felt obligated to order something. So, I got a glass of wine. And it was fun! 

So, I can only conclude that it’s the fun factor that draws people to these wine windows. In addition, maybe it’s quicker than going inside and you can get your beverage in a plastic cup to go, if you choose.

As I sat sipping my wine (there were tables in front of this wine window) others came by. They looked at the window. Then they looked at my glass of wine. Then they knocked too. Everyone enjoyed the novelty of it, and the wine was good as well.

With the popularity of these buchette del vino, more of them are opening all the time. Some restaurants that weren’t lucky enough to have a wine window, have made their own versions. Everyone wants to get in on the fun.

The Florence Wine Window Association was formed in 2015 to document and place a plaque by each window to raise awareness of this bit of history. Out of the hundreds of windows that once existed in Florence’s city center, around 150 are still visible, and only around 15 of them are open to serve wine.

If you’ve tried some of these wine windows, let me know what you think in the comment section below. And if you want to read more of my curious histories, subscribe to my blog (at the top or bottom of this page).

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And now as promised, these are the open wine windows that I know about and the general areas where they can be found:

Duomo (cathedral) area:

• Caffè Duomo – Piazza del Duomo, 29, – just behind the cathedral  
• Cantina de’ Pucci – Via de’ Pucci, 4
• Il Grande Nuti – Borgo San Lorenzo 22/24
• Antica Bottega Wine Tasting – Via Santa Margherita, 13R

Palazzo Strozzi area:

• Café Odeon – Piazza Strozzi, 8R 
• Osteria Belle Donne Via delle Belle Donne, 16R 
• Il Latini – Via dei Palchetti, 6R   

Palazzo Vecchio area:

• Orcagno – Chiasso de’ Baroncelli – Not a traditional wine window but very pretty.

Ponte Vecchio area:

• De’ Bardi Ristorante – Via de’ Bardi, 25R (Oltrarno – across the river)

Santa Croce area:

• La Buchetta Food & Wine – Borgo Santa Croce, 11R
• Osteria San Fiorenzo – Borgo dei Greci, 1A
• Ristorante Pietrabianca – Piazza dei Peruzzi, 5R

Santa Maria Novella area:

• Ristorante Matteoni – Via della Scala, 8 – near Santa Maria Novella Farmacia.

Santo Spirito area:

• Babae – Via di Santo Spirito 21R
• Fiaschetteria Fantappié – Via dei Serragli 47  
• Divin Boccone – Via delle Caldaie 20

Or use the map below to locate one near you.