Like the croissant and the baguette, coffee is not French, but like them, it has become one of the symbols of Frenchness. We first read about coffee around the year 900 in the writings of a Muslim doctor named Rhazes, who attributed medicinal properties to it and recommended that his readers eat the fruits of the coffee bush. In the 13th century, the first coffee houses appeared in Islamic countries, where coffee was consumed as a drink rather than as food, and about 400 years later, coffee reached Italy through tourists who tasted it and fell in love. At first, the drink was opposed by the Church, which saw its bitter taste as the work of the devil, but in the end, Pope Clement VIII gave his approval to the new drink, and it spread throughout Europe. Coffee first arrived in Paris, apparently, in 8, but it was only in 1657 that it became fashionable among high society after the Turkish Sultan's ambassador brought coffee beans with him in 1670 and within a year caused a total addiction among the courtiers of Louis XIV. From the king's court, the drink quickly reached the city. Paris And began to be served in the city's inns.
In 1686, the first café in Paris was opened by a Sicilian named Francesco Procopio and began to enjoy success about three years later, after the “Comédie Française” theater moved nearby. During the 18th century, Café Procop became the favorite meeting place of the great intellectuals of the time, such as Diderot, Rousseau and Voltaire, who used to drink about 40 (!) cups of coffee a day. The intellectuals were joined by opponents of the royal regime and professional gossips, and from there the most malicious stories about Louis XV’s lovers and what was happening at the royal court were spread. It is therefore not surprising that quite a few of the customers of the place were spies in the king’s service, whose testimonies can still be found in the archives of FranceIn the late 18th century, the coffee house became the favorite meeting place of revolutionaries such as Danton, Marais (Marat) and Robespierre, but despite its revolutionary nature, the place managed to maintain its popularity even after the restoration of the monarchy in 1814. Later, Le Procoppe continued to maintain its relevance and hosted some of France's greatest writers and politicians, such as the writer Alfred de Musset, the writer Georges Sand, and the politician Gambetta, who became famous during the Franco-Prussian War, when he managed to escape Paris in a hot air balloon.
Café Le Procope still exists today and as such holds the title of the oldest café in Paris. It is one of the most beautiful cafés I know and although its prices are not particularly cheap I definitely recommend visiting it during your next trip to France and sitting there, at the very least, for a cup of coffee.
site:
https://www.procope.com/
Address:
13 Rue de l'Ancienne Comédie, 75006 Paris, France