We may have expected many things from the COVID-19 pandemic, like decreased travel and closed borders, but nobody expected practices from the beginning of the 17th century to make a comeback. Yet, that’s exactly what happened in Tuscany, Italy, where around 150 wine windows reopened after nearly 400 years.
Wine windows allow Italians to serve drinks and desserts without physical contact, which is perfect for times like these. They were actually invented during the Italian Plague in 1629 by wine merchants who needed a way to serve drinks without spreading the disease. Who would’ve known that they will have the same function again four centuries later?
Over 100 of these windows are located in the historical center of Florence. In 2015, three friends founded a non-profit organization Buchette del Vino in order to promote and preserve these windows. Talking about the original wine merchants who made them, Buchette del Vino said: “They passed the flask of wine through the window to the client but did not receive payment directly into their hands. Instead, they passed a metal pallet to the client, who placed the coins on it, and then the seller disinfected them with vinegar before collecting them.”
