Florence is a city where beauty hides in the details. Behind its grand Renaissance façades and world-famous landmarks are small stories—sometimes quite literally small—that tell us much about the city’s creative spirit and enduring traditions. One of the most charming of these is the buchette del vino, or “wine windows”, scattered across the stone walls of Florence’s palaces.
At first glance, they might seem like architectural oddities: small, arched openings no larger than a dinner plate, often framed in stone and located just above ground level. But these tiny doors have a remarkable past, rooted in the social and economic fabric of Florence.
A Florentine invention of ingenuity and hospitality
The buchette del vino date back to the 1600s, when noble families who owned vineyards in the Tuscan countryside began selling their wine directly from their palaces in the city. These discreet little openings allowed residents to purchase a flask of wine directly from the producer, avoiding taxes, middlemen, and crowded taverns.
The practice wasn’t just convenient—it was a symbol of Florentine practicality and innovation. Customers would knock on the wooden shutter, pass coins through, and receive their wine in return. The buchette allowed noble families to maintain a refined distance while still being part of the city’s daily life.
Their usefulness became especially apparent during times of crisis. During outbreaks of plague, including the one in 1630, these small windows allowed for contactless transactions—an early form of social distancing. Interestingly, this tradition made a quiet comeback during the COVID-19 pandemic, as some buchette were reopened and used again to serve wine, coffee, and even gelato in a safe, charming way.
Hidden in plain sight
Today, over 150 wine windows have been catalogued in Florence alone. They’re easy to miss, but once you know what to look for, they appear everywhere—from the Oltrarno to Santa Croce, from Via del Giglio to Via delle Belle Donne. Some are sealed, others still open, and a few have even been revived by forward-thinking enotecas and restaurants.
A taste of the tradition near Antica Torre Tornabuoni
The area around Antica Torre Tornabuoni is rich in buchette del vino, thanks to its noble past and central location. Just steps from our historic residence, along Via Tornabuoni and its neighboring streets, you can find several of these original wine windows, often unnoticed by hurried passersby. It’s a delightful experience to wander these elegant streets and suddenly come upon a centuries-old portal that once delivered Chianti directly into waiting hands.
At Antica Torre Tornabuoni, we take pride in being more than a place to stay—we are a place to connect with Florence’s soul. The buchette del vino are part of that soul: quiet, surprising, and rooted in authenticity. We encourage our guests to explore this tradition with us, to walk slowly, look closely, and discover the traces of the past that still live in the walls of this incredible city.
Because in Florence, even a sip of wine comes with centuries of history—and often, it begins with a small, magical window.