Looking through the Wine Windows of Florence

Written by Vienna Chan

If you take a stroll around Florence, you might be able to find small window-like holes on the walls of various buildings. Those structures have in fact been present there since the 17th century, however, very few know about their original function. It is estimated that more than 180 wine windows have been preserved in Florence. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, these ‘cultural patrimonies’ are finally given the opportunity to be rediscovered by the world.

These windows — ‘Buchette del vino’ translates to ‘little wine holes’ in English. Unique to Florence and Tuscany in particular, merchants first used them for wine-to-go during the Renaissance period. Not only were they designed for convenience purposes, their discreteness also allows merchants to avoid being taxed on the sale of liquor. During the Bubonic Plague from 1630 to 1633, the use of wine holes peaked in effort to maintain the F&B business without sacrificing safety. Social distancing was crucial to survival and premises were only allowed to operate businesses in ways without direct contact. In May 2020, Italy eased its two-months-long lockdown after the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Some business owners decided to revive the use of buchette for the sales of wine, aperol spritzes, ice creams and sandwiches, as they ‘felt especially apt’ to do so during this particular period of parallel circumstances.

Click Below for Further Reading!

The re-emergence of charming 'little wine holes' in Florence

Florence’s wine portals from the 17th Century

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