Historic ‘wine windows’ used in Tuscany during plague come back into use during coronavirus 

Restaurants and bars in Italy have started reopening historic ‘wine windows’ as a creative measure to make sure customers socially distance.

There are almost 300 of the little windows throughout the northern Italy region of Tuscany, with 150 of them being found within the old city walls of Florence.

Traditionally the ‘wine windows’, known as buchette del vino, were used in the 1630s during when the plague was rife.

The windows allowed merchants to pass their wine to customers without coming into contact with them.

Now though, with another pandemic forcing people to socially distance, some small businesses in Tuscany have revived their wine windows.

On their website, the Wine Window Association’s said: ‘Everyone is confined to home for two months and then the government permits a gradual reopening.

There are almost 300 of the little windows throughout the northern Italy region of Tuscany, with 150 of them being found within the old city walls of Florence

‘During this time, some enterprising Florentine Wine Window owners have turned back the clock.’ 

The Osteria Delle Brache and Babae establishments, both in Florence, are two of the businesses that have put the historical windows back into service.

Although traditionally only wine was passed through the windows, cafes and restaurants are now serving Aperol Spritzes,  ice cream and coffee through them as well.

Some of the wine windows were destroyed during the floods of 1966 and the association wants to place plaques next to all of the surviving windows.

The windows allowed merchants to pass wine to customers without coming into contact with them and now some small businesses in Tuscany have revived their wine windows