Italy is a country where life and art have become so intertwined as to be virtually indistinguishable. It is a land where a very emotional aesthetic sense inserts itself into every aspect of human endeavor in perennial pursuit of the ephemeral joys of beauty.
From the highest point in Trentino to the southernmost tip of Sicily, the day begins with a good cup of coffee. It may be surprisingly small to the rest of us, but its preparation is an art in itself, handed down from generation to generation. It is such an integral part of the culture it is very nearly part of the genetic make-up.

We all know the pleasure of waking to the smell of freshly ground coffee beans, raising the cup for that first sip, the comforting / stimulating taste…no wonder few ever care to abandon this intensely enjoyable morning ritual.

In Italy, coffee as a way of life begins in the home. The first cup of the day, often accompanied by the newspaper, provides a gentle transition from the heavenly slumbers to the hectic pace of the everyday.
Together with wine, traditional espresso is considered the most widely consumed beverage in the country, in spite of the introduction of various coffee makers in recent years. Indeed, in 1903, an engineer named Bezzera patented the first espresso machine, which was to prove the founding father of an industry. The necessity of having to make enough coffee to satisfy the clientele of a bustling café (normally prepared one cup at a time), gave birth to this brilliant new device which was able to prepare multiple cups quite quickly.

This spiritual elixir, this nectar of energy, this revitalizing jolt - so dense and creamy… This masterpiece of mellow flavor and is known as "Espresso all'Italiana" and is obtained solely by using a prestigious blend of coffee and the proper equipment.

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