San Giuliano Terme | The Kaffeehaus

Behind the Bagni di Pisa spa structure, on top of a hill stands a portico of ten high arches, open on all sides: this is the Kaffehaus, which has the classical elegance of the arcades of a Roman aqueduct or a Renaissance portico. It is not so old, however. In fact, its construction dates back to the mid 19th century, a period when arches or small temples were built in noble parks, whereas here it represents a belvedere to admire the landscape of Pisa and the Pisan plain.

Another Kaffehaus is in the park of the Villa di Corliano. The irregularly shaped building, unfortunately in poor condition, has three rooms on the ground floor, overlooking the Belvedere and the village courtyard of honour. It was accessed from the large panoramic terrace overlooking the hill, with a green theatre and two nymphs on either side. On the first floor were three service rooms, including a kitchen with a large fireplace for boiling coffee and chocolate, in keeping with the 18th-century fashion that led Cosimo Agostini to found the Caffè dell’Ussero in 1775 on the Pisa lungarni.