Chioggia, ITALY – A pleasant coolness envelops me as I leave a blazingly hot Italian street and enter Caffè degli artisti, or ‘The artists’ café.’
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Even though most clients come here in the morning for a cup of coffee and an exquisite croissant, there is a special atmosphere in the afternoon, when sunlight filters through the grapevine surrounding the tables outside and reflects off the frames of the photographs hanging on the walls.
The first thing that catches a visitor’s eye when they come into the café is the huge double bass hanging from the ceiling above the counter, along with other instruments, including various guitars.
Often, there are also postcards with poems or drawings that sway when the doors open and close.
Even though tourists might pop into the café at any time of year, especially in the summer, most of the clients are locals.
Caffè degli artisti is a place where elderly men read newspapers and discuss politics, businessmen drink espresso at the counter, and dog owners watch their pets, who are sitting under the tables waiting for some crumbs.
The tables themselves are small installations featuring old newspaper articles, posters and even nautical knots under the glass surface.
I have been coming to this café ever since I came to Italy four years ago. But this time, I’m not here for a croissant. Instead, I want to learn the history of this café that has become so special for me.
Loredana Toson, one of the café owners who also waits tables, is a lively red-haired woman in her sixties with a friendly smile, clearly in love with the place.
Toson and her husband, Fabio Scarpa, founded Caffè degli artisti in 2008 with his sister and her husband, Simonetta Scarpa and Raffaele Schifone.
The building was initially a shop that mostly sold sewing machines and belonged to the Scarpa family, but after the shop moved, the cafe owners decided to turn the space into a place where people could come together and enjoy good coffee and music.
Toson said they used to host many musical evenings with local artists, but it has become more difficult due to the restrictions imposed by municipal authorities on evening music performances.
Scarpa’s passion for music is the reason behind the name of the café, as well as the instruments hanging inside. They belong to Fabio Scarpa, who used to play in a band.
The wall behind the counter also features some of his musical albums.
Next to the entrance, there are pictures of various 20th-century music and pop culture legends, including The Beatles and The Doors, hanging on the wall.
Even though Caffè degli artisti rarely hosts concerts now, it still remains dedicated to promoting local artists’ work.
One of the walls is available for various art exhibitions that change every month.
The July exhibition was a series of food photography by Valentina Gallimberti Ballarin, an artist from Chioggia.
The August display features various sea creatures painted on wood.
When asked what food Toson is most proud of at the café, she said it is the coffee itself.
Even though the type of coffee plays a role in its taste, according to Toson, what makes the difference is how the coffee is stored and the cleanliness of the coffee machines.
So that coffee doesn’t lose its taste, they grind coffee beans in the café, rather than buying pre-ground coffee, and keep the AC on to make sure the coffee doesn’t overheat.
What makes Caffè degli artisti special, though, is probably not the coffee, nor even the croissants that are heated directly in the café, but the way the waiters remember what you usually order and ask how you’ve been after they have not seen you in a while.
Written on the café window is “Take away happiness,” and when you come out of its doors, it seems that together with the memory of the warm light surrounding old photos and guitars, you are indeed carrying a sparkle of happiness.
Sofiia Yakymenko is a Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
