Caffe Gilli

Established by a Swiss family, when Florence was still under the Medici Family, Gilli is the city’s oldest cafe – opened in 1733 as “Bottega dei Pani & dei Dolci” near the Duomo. It moved to Piazza della Repubblica in the early ‘90s, where it’s still located today, is the city’s only example of an Art Nouveaux style cafe. Over time, the business evolved according to the city’s transformations. In the mid-1800s it relocated from Via degli Speziali to its current location, on the same square as other historic venues, such as Caffe Paszkowski. It soon became a favorite of writers, artists, and actors from all over the world, and today is still the place where famous designers meet when in town to attend the Pitti Uomo fashion shows.