A firenzei újraéledt “borablakok” története

alapfok

A 16. századi pestisjárvány alatt használt "borablakok" újra reneszánszukat élik Olaszországban.

Italy revives its 17th-century wine windows to serve drinks to passers-by

Businesses in Italy are reviving the tradition of selling wine and other drinks from tiny wall hatches known as wine windows. The tradition dates back to the 1600s when Italy was in the grip of another pandemic.

Wineries, gelaterias and bars in Tuscany have found a neat way to serve drinks and treats to customers while maintaining a safe physical distance by using wine windows or buchette del vino as they’re known in Italian. As the region comes out of lockdown, these windows have been serving contactless wine, Aperol Spritzes, gelato and coffee to customers in need of a pick-me-up.

There are about 150 of them in Tuscany, according to Buchette del Vino, a non-profit, cultural organisation that was set up by three friends — Matteo Faglia, Diletta Corsini and Mary Christine Forrest — in 2015 to promote, preserve and highlight these pint-sized windows. More than 100 of these architectural quirks can be found in Florence’s historical center alone.

The wine windows first came about in the 17th-century when quick-thinking wine merchants decided to carve little openings in the walls of their premises to continue serving drinks to the public during the Italian Plague of 1629–1631. These wine merchants understood the problem of contagion, say Buchette del Vino.

“They passed the flask of wine through the window to the client but did not receive payment directly into their hands. Instead, they passed a metal pallet to the client, who placed the coins on it, and then the seller disinfected them with vinegar before collecting them.”

Over time, as the demand for them diminished, the windows were bordered up. They’re often overlooked by tourists and even some locals as they go about their business. But today, as Italy grapples with a new pandemic and fresh fears of contagion, some Florentine businesses including Osteria delle Brache and Babae have opened their windows again to serve drinks, while the owners of the Vivoli ice cream parlor are serving coffee and gelato to passers-by.

source: Lonely Planet, CNN

Vocabulary

to revive

újraééleszteni

passer-by

járókelő

hatch

nyílás

to date back to

visszanyúlik (időben)

to be in the grip of

valaminek a fogságában/szorításában lenni

pandemic

világjárvány

treat

itt: finomság

to maintain

megtartani

lockdown

vesztegzár, karantén

pick-me-up

“szíverősítő”

quirk

furcsaság, különlegesség

quick-thinking

gyors észjárású

wine merchant

borkereskedő

to decide to

eldönteni, hogy

to carve

vájni, kivájni, kivésni

opening

nyílás

premise

ház, épület, helyiség

plague

pestis

contagion

fertőzés

metal pallet

fémlap

to disinfect

fertőtleníteni

over time

az idők alatt

to diminish

csökkenni, fogyni

to border up

bereteszelni

to grapple with

viaskodni/birkózni valamivel

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