Caffè Gilli, Florence

Caffè Gilli is the historic café occupying a corner of Palazzo Levi in Piazza della Repubblica, where it meets Via Roma. Its story begins in 1733, when the Swiss Gilli family opened a sweet shop on Via dei Calzaiuoli; Florentine nobility soon became its clientele. The business moved more than once before reaching this address in the early 20th century.

During the Futurist period, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Ardengo Soffici, and other artists and writers gathered here. As local tradition has it, indebted young men who frequented the café gave it the nickname “Caffè dei fachiri.” Inside, original furnishings remain, with stucco-framed ceiling panels carrying portraits of noblewomen, made by Ezio Giovannozzi in the early 20th century. Along Via Roma, a small metal plaque recalls Gilli as the official venue of the Donatello Prize.