Unlocking the Secrets of Florence's Wine Windows: Italy's Visibly Hidden Gems

Picture this: I’m strolling through the cobblestone streets during my first night in Florence, Italy, and I notice – a tiny little arched “window” with a glass of red wine on the sill and a bell next to it. 

I’m intrigued, and my friend – who studied abroad here – says it’s a wine window. 

I’m hooked.

Wine window or Buchetta del vino outside of Osteria dell’Agnolo on Borgo San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy.

Florentine Wine Windows or Buchette del vino (translation: wine holes) originated in 1559 when Cosimo de Medici declared that nobles and merchant families could sell their wines directly to customers - out of their homes. Italy was at war, therefore, experiencing an economic crisis.

They needed to get their coin. Customers could walk up to the windows, hand over their empty wine glass or bottle through the window, and get it filled in return for payment. 

When plagues later hit Italy, merchants used the windows to buy and sell all types of goods. Picture those plastic dividers that went up in grocery stores due to COVID-19, but more aesthetically pleasing.

Today, there are about a hundred wine windows still functioning in Florence. The one I went to was at Cantina de Pucci, on via de Pucci, just a block away from the Piazza del Duomo. 

If you’re planning a trip to Florence, you can find a map of operating wine windows here, or book a tour to learn more about the history with Wine Windows Walking Tour with Wine Tasting or Wine Windows Walking Tour with Wine Tasting.