Concetti Chiave
- Coffee was introduced from Turkey in the late 17th century, rapidly gaining popularity with coffee houses multiplying in London between 1670 and 1685.
- Coffee houses in London became social hubs where people discussed daily issues, enjoyed drinks, and were centers of news and entertainment, though women were excluded.
- Each coffee house catered to specific interests or political viewpoints, serving as meeting places for business, such as Lloyd's for merchants, and cultural gatherings like Will's for writers.
- Cafés were pivotal in spreading news and culture at a time of limited communication, known as "Penny University" for providing access to information at a low cost.
- The evolution of coffee houses led to the development of journals and newspapers, with the Spectator being one of the first, acting as the 'Internet' of the Enlightenment era.
Coffee had been introduced from Turkey in the second half of the seventeenth century and had rapidly become a popular drink. Between 1670 and 1685 coffee houses multiplied in London. The first coffee house in Italy appeared in Venice and in England was set in Oxford. The first coffee house in London, Cornhill, was opened in 1652.
The social role of coffee houses
In the coffee houses people spent their time discussing the issues of the day while enjoying coffee, tea, rum, and beer and smoking cigars. Each political or literary party had its meeting place of this sort and London life grew more animated. Coffee houses were associated with news and gossip and provided entertainment so they served as center of social interaction even if woman were banned from them.
Places for meeting and business
Each coffee house catered for customers with a particular type of interest and was specialized in a particular topic or political viewpoint. However they weren't only meeting places, but also good places to conduct business. Merchants, when they wanted to insure their ships and cargoes, met at Lloyd's. The favorite coffee house for writers was Will's, near Covent Garden, while clergymen went to Truby's and scholars to the Grecian.
Men of fashion went to White's and Brook's, which later became well-known gentlemen's club.
The spread of culture and news
Cafés also served to spread news at a time when communication systems were rudimentary, to say the least and person to person contact was the only effective way of getting news. Coffee houses contributed to the development of culture through journals and newspapers and were also known as "Penny University", because at the price of one penny only, everyone could go in and listens to writers, artists or politicians.
The evolution of coffee houses
The development of clubs in the coffee houses encouraged the appearance of journals which were bought by these clubs for their members to read. They contained essays on fashion, literature, politics, people and all sorts of other subjects and were the first form of newspaper ever published. One of these was the Spectator, founded in 1712 by Josef Addison and Richard Steele.
Today when you want to know the latest news on politics, science, business you log on the Internet, three centuries ago, you went to a coffee house. Europe's interconnected web of coffee houses formed the Internet of the Enlightenment.
Domande da interrogazione
- How did coffee houses contribute to social interaction in the seventeenth century?
- What role did coffee houses play in the business and cultural landscape of the time?
- How did coffee houses influence the spread of news and the development of media?
Coffee houses served as centers of social interaction where people gathered to discuss daily issues while enjoying beverages and cigars. They were associated with news and gossip, providing entertainment and a meeting place for political and literary parties, although women were banned from them.
Coffee houses were not only social hubs but also venues for conducting business, such as insuring ships at Lloyd's. They catered to specific interests and political viewpoints, contributing to cultural development through journals and newspapers, earning the nickname "Penny University" for their role in spreading knowledge.
Coffee houses facilitated the spread of news in an era of limited communication systems, acting as the "Internet of the Enlightenment." They encouraged the creation of journals and newspapers, such as the Spectator, which were shared among club members, marking the early development of modern media.
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