STUDY ABROAD Nicholas Signoriello specials in Florence "Italian Caffè Culture"

STUDY ABROAD Nicholas Signoriello specials in Florence   "Italian Caffè Culture"

In my opinion, the caffè  is an integral part of the socialization of Italians. After living in Italy for at least a few weeks, you begin to notice that there are caffè bars on almost every street corner. Normally, they are filled with groups of Italians who for the most part stay loyal to a particular bar and know the barista on a personal basis.

Unlike in America, where it seems that many people in coffee shops keep to themselves and read the daily newspaper to stay up to date on current events, Italians choose to have debates instead and argue amongst each other about anything from soccer to immigration—or Berlusconi and his latest shenanigans.

For those of you who grab an espresso in any random bar you see on your way to class, I would suggest choosing a particular place to start going to continuously to truly experience this aspect of Italian life. It’s a great way to keep up to date on the current events that are happening in Italy without actually reading a newspaper. Once you become a familiar face, you can start offering your opinions also and engage in their conversations.

Another thing I have found to be convenient is that taking an espresso at a bar makes it easy to keep in touch with Italian friends you may not have time to see otherwise. If you have Italian friends that don’t go out to drink very often, you may not get a chance to hang out with them that much. My advice is to ask them to grab a caffè and have a chat.

It can be difficult for English speakers to keep up with current events in Italy on a daily basis, but taking a coffee at your local bar can introduce you to a whole world of Italian culture—especially if you start your morning with an espresso at the same bar where you can really get to know the faces (and opinions!) of the people that live and work here.