Over the last few years, the wine windows in Florence have gained a second life, with many of the them becoming operational again after years of neglect.
A Brief History on the Wine Windows in Florence
The wine windows in Florence date back to the 1500s when Cosimo de’ Medici ruled Florence. Many wealthy, noble families were unhappy with his rise to power. To appease them, he allowed them to sell wine they produced out of their homes, often using these windows.
Fast forward to the 1600s when the bubonic plague hit Florence. People believed wine had medicinal qualities, and these windows provided a way to sell wine (and food) with minimal contact, preventing the spread of the disease and getting people the “medicine” they needed. That’s how these tiny windows in Florence came to be known as buchette di vino – wine windows.
Osteria Belle Donne Wine Window
During our time in Florence, we stumbled across the Osteria Belle Donne Wine window. It’s a short walk from the Il Tornabuoni hotel, where we stayed, and close to Palazzo Strozzi. Really though, nothing in Florence is very far – it’s a very walkable city.
A few tourists were standing around drinking their wine, but it wasn’t very crowded. We didn’t wait long at all – maybe 5 minutes? They also serve more than just wine. My sister and I got Aperol spritzes, and my mom ordered the Chianti Classico (her favorite). They accept credit cards, and the service was quite fast. You can order your drinks for takeaway (which we did) or to drink there. If you want a fancy real glass, you’ll need to order it for there and stand and drink it. We chose ours to go, so they came in plastic cups because we were headed back to get ready for dinner.
If the window is closed but they’re open, just tap on the window and someone should likely appear. I think this wine window in Florence is likely the most beautiful, with the flowers and decorations outside! Let me know if you stop by!