A brief history of coffee in Naples, Italy
Shrouded in superstition, coffee was initially quite unpopular in Europe. It’s dark color was associated with Satan and was often called the devil’s drink. It is rumored however, that Pope Clement VIII, after tasting coffee for the first time, blessed the beans, deeming coffee better for the people that alcoholic drinks.
When King Ferdinand III came to power in 1759, him and his wife, Maria Carolina, brought with them many Viennese items and traditions – coffee being one of them. And although coffee had been introduced to Naples later than other European cities, by 1794 coffee was enjoyed by both commoners and aristocracy of Napoli.