Locks changed at Caffè Greco as long-running eviction battle comes to an end.
Antico Caffè Greco, Rome’s oldest coffee house, was sealed up by police on Wednesday following a lengthy legal battle between the property’s owners and the managers of the historic bar.
The court of cassation upheld the termination of the lease, returning the keys of the premises to its owners, the Israelite Hospital, bringing an end to their long-running attempts to evict the bar’s licence holders.
The legal dispute dates back to 2017 when the lease ended, but the tenants – Flavia Iozzi and her husband Carlo Pellegrini – repeatedly resisted efforts to have them evicted.
Locks changed
A locksmith, accompanied by a bailiff and Carabinieri police officers, changed the locks at the iconic watering hole which opened at its prime location near the Spanish Steps in 1760.
In addition to the eviction order, police recently seized around 300 precious furnishings from the bar which prosecutors allege were removed by Pellegrini in violation of heritage laws prohibiting their removal.
Caffè Greco interior. Photo credit: Julie Mayfeng / Shutterstock.com.
The paintings, memorabilia and antique furniture – reportedly valued at €8 million – were confiscated from a warehouse by the cultural heritage unit of the Carabinieri.
What happens now?
There is much speculation about the future of the bar, located of Via dei Condotti, an exclusive shopping street home to the world’s top fashion brands.
Will it return to being a café? Or will it be taken over by a designer label?
There are reports of “informal proposals” from neighbouring houses that wish to expand their space, according to newspaper Corriere della Sera.
“The absolute priority will be to reopen Caffè Greco” – the extraordinary commissioner of the Israelite Hospital, Antonio Maria Leozappa, told reporters on Wednesday – “We will now work intensely to reopen the establishment.”
A brief history of Caffè Greco
Founded by Nicola della Maddalena, Caffè Greco is the second-oldest coffee house in Italy, after Caffè Florian which opened in Venice in 1720.
Over the centuries, Caffè Greco has provided refuge for a host of illustrious cultural figures including Hans Christian Anderson, Lord Byron, Baudelaire, Buffalo Bill, Casanova, Goethe, Gogol, Ibsen, Henry James, Keats, Sophia Loren, Pasolini, Shelley, Stendhal, Mark Twain and Orson Welles.
Photo credit: Julie Mayfeng / Shutterstock.com.
