Simo's coffee
In early 900th-century Lucca, the city of cafes and the promenade of luxury shops and jewelry stores, Antico Caffè Di Simo remains in the heart of Lucca, on the central Via Fillungo, a stone's throw from Piazza Anfiteatro.
Address: Via Fillungo, 58
accessibility: The premises are accessible from the back door for people with mobility disabilities.
timetables: only in case of events
entrance: Free
A large sign with gold lettering on a black background, the Art Nouveau decorations of the dark wood frame, and the large curved glass of the ever-gleaming window are the unmistakable features of this historic place.
The interior is a refined and elegant space where people gather to enjoy fine pastries, exquisite coffee blends, carefully selected wines and liqueurs, play chess, perhaps smoke a fine cigar (which was permitted back then), and enjoy cultured conversation or light conversation. For the locals and their guests, it's a place of connection and affection, easily recognizable for its atmosphere steeped in art, music, and tradition, which has contributed to the city's history.
A large dark counter, made of walnut wood with a fine marble top
It leads to the side rooms furnished with small four-light gold-enamelled chandeliers, wood paneling and round tables, with period prints and maps of medieval Lucca hanging on the walls.
1846 was the historic year of its opening, under the name Caffè Caselli. In 1902, after the death of the first owner, Carlo Caselli, his son, Alfredo, inherited the establishment. Alfredo was a cultured, generous man, a lover of the arts, and a patron of the arts. Intellectuals, poets, writers, and musicians gathered at the café, with whom he developed close friendships and close relationships. Among its regulars were the two famous Lucca composers Giacomo Puccini and Alfredo Catalani.
In 1921, upon Alfredo's death, the café passed to the Di Simo brothers, who gave their name to the establishment.
Within its walls, "a concert of friendships" continued to take place,
as the plaque placed in 1958 by the owners at the time, Angelo Ricci and Fernando Pieri, recalls:
“This café, which echoed the enthusiasm of the Risorgimento, welcomed poets, writers and artists, friends of the grocer and patron Alfredo Caselli, at the end of the nineteenth century and at the beginning of our century. These included Giovanni Pascoli, Giuseppe Giacosa, Alfredo Catalani, Giacomo Puccini, Pietro Mascagni, Libero Andreotti and Lorenzo Viani.”