Caffè Gilli
Gilli is older than the square it stands on by a century and a half. It began as a shop for sweet breads in the Florence of the last Medici, and moved twice before it settled on this corner.
- What it is
- Café
- Opened
- 1733
- Area
- Piazza della Repubblica
- Nearest museum
- Florence Cathedral, 200 m
Florence this week
What Caffè Gilli is known for
The room
Dark wood, marble, mirrors and chandeliers of the early twentieth century, kept much as they were when the café moved here.
The counter
Florentines take their coffee standing at the long bar, with a pastry from the cases beside it. The tables on the square are for those in no hurry.
The Futurists
In the 1910s Marinetti, Ardengo Soffici and the painters and poets round them met here, when the square was the centre of the city's literary cafés.
What to know
- Founded in 1733 by the Gilli family, from Switzerland, as a pastry shop in Via dei Calzaiuoli
- A coffee at the bar costs a fraction of one at a table
- It is on the register of Italy's historic cafés
Where Caffè Gilli is
Address
Via Roma 1r50123 Florence, Italy
Nearest station
Santa Maria Novella, about 700 metres away
Museums and sights nearby
- Florence Cathedral200 m
- Palazzo Vecchio350 m
- Medici Chapels350 m
- Bargello National Museum350 m
- Ponte Vecchio450 m
Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.
From a shop of sweet breads to the square
The Gilli family opened the Bottega dei Pani Dolci in 1733, in the reign of Gian Gastone de' Medici, and the nobility of Florence took to it. At the end of the nineteenth century, when the old market was cleared to make the new square, the café moved to Via degli Speziali, and by the 1910s to the corner it occupies now.
After the Second World War it became the meeting place of the young of Florence and of the city's first tourists.
Caffè Gilli: common questions
- Where is Caffè Gilli?
- At Via Roma 1r, in the old centre, Florence. The nearest station is Santa Maria Novella, about 700 metres away.
- Which museums and sights are near Caffè Gilli?
- Florence Cathedral is 200 m away, Palazzo Vecchio is 350 m away, Medici Chapels is 350 m away. Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.
- What is Caffè Gilli known for?
- The room, The counter, The Futurists. The oldest café in Florence, begun as a Swiss family's pastry shop in 1733, with a Belle Époque room on Piazza della Repubblica.
- When did Caffè Gilli open?
- In 1733. Founded in 1733 by the Gilli family, from Switzerland, as a pastry shop in Via dei Calzaiuoli.
What visitors say about Caffè Gilli
Rating from Google
Tickets and tours near Caffè Gilli
Things to do near Caffè Gilli
The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.
- 3Climb Brunelleschi's dome on the Duomo200 m awayChurch, 2 to 3 hours, cathedral free, ticket for the dome
- 12See the real Gates of Paradise at the Opera del Duomo Museum350 m awayMuseum, 1.5 to 2 hours, ticket
- 4Walk the halls of the Palazzo Vecchio350 m awayMonument, 1.5 to 2.5 hours, square free, ticket for the palace
- 10Stand among Michelangelo's tombs in the Medici Chapels350 m awayMonument, 45 to 75 minutes, ticket
Artists to see near Caffè Gilli
The museums nearest to here, and the most famous artists on show in each.
Florence Cathedral, 200 m away
Palazzo Vecchio, 350 m away
Hotels near Caffè Gilli
The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in Florence. Distances are in a straight line.
- Hotel Savoy4.7Five-star hotel, Piazza della Repubblica50 m away
- Helvetia & Bristol4.7Five-star hotel, Palazzo Strozzi150 m away
- Palazzo Portinari Salviati4.8Five-star hotel, Via del Corso250 m away
- Porta Rossa4.8Five-star hotel, Via Porta Rossa300 m away
Where to eat near Caffè Gilli
The nearest of the famous tables this site lists in Florence. Distances are in a straight line.
- Caffè Paszkowski4.5Café, Piazza della Repubblica50 m away
- Giubbe Rosse4.0Literary café, Piazza della Repubblica100 m away
- Perché no!4.6Gelateria, Orsanmichele150 m away