The Caffè Cova is one of

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, Italy's oldest pastry shops,

delicatessen A delicatessen or deli is a grocery that sells a selection of fine, exotic, or foreign prepared foods. Delicatessens originated in Germany (contemporary spelling: ) during the 18th century and spread to the United States in the mid-19th centur ...

s and

coffeehouse A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargi ...

s, today property of the French group Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Founded in 1817 by a soldier, Antonio Cova near the

Teatro alla Scala La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was a church). The premiere performance was Antonio Salieri's ''Europa r ...

, since 1950 situated in the fashionable Via Montenapoleone, part of Milan's ''

quadrilatero della moda The Quadrilatero della moda (; literally "fashion square"), or Via Montenapoleone fashion district, is a shopping district in the centre of the Italian city of Milan. Shops there include both Italian fashion and international brands. The sides o ...

'' or ''fashion quadrilateral''.History
, Caffè Cova.

History

Beginnings

Founded by veteran Antonio Cova in 1817, the ''Caffè'' was an important place for socialization and the meeting of the ''Milano bene'', or the Milanese upper-class citizens, and it was a haunt for intellectuals, artists, musicians, academics, writers, politicians and journalists.

Unification of Italy

The

cafe A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargil ...

became an important place during the ''

cinque giornate di Milano The Five Days of Milan ( ) was an insurrection and a major event in the Revolutionary Year of 1848 that started the First Italian War of Independence. On 18 March, a rebellion arose in the city of Milan which in five days of street fightin ...

'' during March 1848, when several of the foreigners were expelled from the coffeehouse itself.

Post-World War II (1950-1990)

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the Cova establishment and the nearby La Scala were devastatingly affected by the 1943 bombings of Milan. Ever since then, in 1950, the ''pasticceria'' transferred itself to the Via Montenapoleone, in the North-Eastern central part of the city.

Modern age and today (1990-)

Ever since the 1990s, the Caffè began to open

franchises Franchise may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Media franchise, a collection of related creative works, such as films, video games, books, etc., particularly in North American usage * "Franchise" (short story), a 1955 short story ...

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

, the most notable of which was the

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

Caffè Cova,Caffè Cova
Hong Kong. which opened in the city in 1993. In 1997, the Caffè Cova opened a delicatessen aboard the American ''Celebrity Cruises'', further spreading the institution's influence around the world. Today, the Milan Caffè Cova still maintains its aristocratic atmosphere, and remains common place for the wealthier Milanese to drink an

espresso Espresso (, ) is a concentrated form of coffee produced by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely ground coffee beans. Originating in Italy, espresso has become one of the most popular coffee-brewing methods worldwide. It is cha ...

cappuccino Cappuccino (, ; from German ) is an espresso-based coffee drink traditionally prepared with steamed milk, including a layer of milk foam. Variations of the drink involve the use of cream instead of milk, using non-dairy milk substitutes ...

, but it has also become popular with tourists and shoppers on the Via Montenapoleone alike. The delicatessen is also well known for its different pastries and rich selection of cakes, including

wedding cake A wedding cake is the traditional cake served at wedding receptions following dinner. In some parts of England, the wedding cake is served at a wedding breakfast; the 'wedding breakfast' does not mean the meal will be held in the morning, but at ...

s. In

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

they sell the products with the association of Miryam Camhi, a traditional Colombian Bakery, only at the Centro Andino store. As of August 2015, the historical Montenapoleone location is undergoing renovations after the acquisition by

LVMH LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (), commonly known as LVMH, is a French multinational holding company and conglomerate that specializes in luxury goods and has its headquarters in Paris, France. The company was formed in 1987 through the ...

in 2013.

References

External links

Caffè Cova, Hong Kong website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caffe Cova 1817 establishments in the Austrian Empire Restaurants in Milan Tourist attractions in Milan Tourist attractions in Hong Kong Coffeehouses and cafés in Italy Culture in Milan LVMH brands