Antico Caffè Greco


The Antico Caffè Greco is an historic landmark café which opened in 1760 on Via dei Condotti in Rome, Italy. It is the oldest bar in Rome and second oldest in Italy, after Caffè Florian in Venice.

History

The café was named after its Greek owner, who opened it in 1760.
Historic figures including Stendhal, Goethe, Arthur Schopenhauer, Bertel Thorvaldsen, Mariano Fortuny, Byron, Franz Liszt, Keats, Henrik Ibsen, Hans Christian Andersen, Felix Mendelssohn, Wagner, Levi, María Zambrano and even Casanova have had coffee there.
For more than two centuries and a half, the Caffe Greco has remained a haven for writers, politicians, artists and notable people in Rome.. However, as of 23 October 2019, despite being protected by the Department of Beni Culturali, the cafe is under the risk of closing due to the expiration of its rental contract. In 2017, the owner of the building asked for a raise of its monthly rent from the current 18.000 to 120.000 Euros.