Home › Places › Vicenza October Edit › Biblioteca Civica Pietro Ragazzoni
Before Espresso: The Man from Vicenza Behind Europe’s First Coffee Illustration
Who First Illustrated Coffee in Europe? The Answer Leads to Vicenza.
In 1592, a botanist from Vicenza wrote about an Egyptian drink sold in public houses like wine. They called it caova. This October, his hometown celebrates with a Greek coffee tasting.
You have saved two places. Leave your email and you will find them on any device, plus the next drop.
Know before you go
One of the earliest illustrations of the coffee plant published in Europe came from Prospero Alpini, a physician and botanist born in Marostica, Vicenza. After studying the plant and its uses in Egypt, he described it in his 1592 botanical book, De Plantis Aegypti. On Saturday 24 October 2026, his hometown opens the fifth La Spezieria di Prospero Alpini, an exhibition dedicated to his botanical research, accompanied by a Greek coffee presentation and tasting at 5:30 pm. The celebrations continue on Sunday, alongside Marostica’s traditional autumn fair.
THE FIRST COFFEE ILLUSTRATION · THE GREEK COFFEE TASTING IN VICENZA· WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS · COFFEE HISTORY FAQ · PLAN YOUR VISIT
Before espresso, there was caova
In the 1580s, Italian physician and botanist Prospero Alpini travelled to Egypt, where he encountered a plant whose roasted seeds produced a drink known locally as caova.
He recorded an intriguing detail: Egyptians and Arabs drank coffee in place of wine, and the beverage was sold in public drinking establishments, much as wine was sold in Europe.
Alpini first discussed its medicinal uses in De Medicina Aegyptiorum (1591). A year later, his De Plantis Aegypti, published in Venice, included what is recognised as the first printed European botanical illustration of the coffee plant.
The seeds were known as bon or ban. The drink was already part of daily life in Egypt, centuries before Italian espresso bars made coffee a national ritual.
Alpini was born in Marostica, a historic town in the province of Vicenza, famous today for its medieval castles and living chess tradition.
Saturday 24 October: Greek coffee in Marostica, Vicenza
At 5:30 pm, the fifth edition of La Spezieria di Prospero Alpini, or Prospero Alpini’s Apothecary, opens at the Pietro Ragazzoni Civic Library.
Organised by the Accademia del Caffè Prospero Alpini and Centro Studi Prospero Alpini, the exhibition explores the plants and spices associated with the botanist’s research, accompanied by a presentation and tasting of traditional Greek coffee.
What makes Greek coffee different?
Traditionally prepared in a small pot called a briki, Greek coffee is brewed slowly and served in a small cup, usually with a glass of cold water. Unlike Italian espresso, it is enjoyed with the fine coffee grounds settling at the bottom of the cup.
The tasting offers coffee lovers a chance to discover another Mediterranean coffee tradition while exploring one of the earliest European botanical accounts of their favourite drink.
Admission is free.
More to discover in Marostica on 24 and 25 October
Saturday 24 October, 4 pm
A historical gathering at the Sala del Buon Governo in Palazzo del Doglione marks the 410th anniversary of Prospero Alpini’s death, the anniversary of his portrait by painter Leandro da Ponte and 40 years of the town’s twinning with São Bernardo do Campo in Brazil.
Saturday 24 October, 5:30 pm
Opening of La Spezieria di Prospero Alpini, with its botanical exhibition and Greek coffee tasting, at the Pietro Ragazzoni Civic Library.
Sunday 25 October
The botanical exhibition continues, while the historic Piazza Castello and surrounding streets host the Antica Fiera di San Simeone, Marostica’s traditional autumn fair. Expect stalls selling regional agricultural produce and local crafts, seasonal displays, traditional entertainment and the town’s famous public tombola. The same day also brings the national Walk Among the Olive Trees, with opportunities to explore local olive growing and taste regional oils.
Coffee history: three questions worth asking
Where did coffee originally come from? The coffee species Coffea arabica is native to northeastern Africa, including Ethiopia and South Sudan. Yemen later became a major centre for its cultivation and the development of coffee drinking traditions that spread internationally.
Who first described coffee in Europe? European accounts appeared during the sixteenth century. German traveller Leonhard Rauwolf described the drink in a work published in 1582. Prospero Alpini subsequently made a significant botanical contribution, publishing an illustrated account of the coffee plant in Venice in 1592.
What was caova? Caova was the name Alpini recorded for the coffee drink consumed in Egypt. He described a beverage prepared from roasted seeds, already sold and enjoyed in public establishments.
Plan your visit
When: Saturday 24 October 2026, 5:30 pm.
Event: La Spezieria di Prospero Alpini, fifth edition.
Location: Pietro Ragazzoni Civic Library, Via Cairoli 4, Marostica, Vicenza, Italy.
Admission: Free.
Organisers: Accademia del Caffè Prospero Alpini and Centro Studi Prospero Alpini.
Also on Saturday: Historical gathering at 4 pm, Palazzo del Doglione, Piazza Castello 34.
Sunday 25 October: Botanical exhibition and the traditional San Simeone autumn fair in Marostica.