Coffee isn't just a beverage: it's a cultural and social phenomenon that has spanned centuries and geographies, taking on diverse meanings and functions. Since its spread throughout Europe, this unique beverage has influenced social, economic , and political dynamics, becoming a key element of daily life and social interaction.

The origins and spread of the drink

Coffee originated in Ethiopia and spread to Europe in the 17th century, thanks to Venetian merchants. From the beginning, the beverage was associated with coffeehouses , public places where intellectuals, philosophers, merchants, and the bourgeoisie met to discuss business and politics. Authors such as Jürgen Habermas have analyzed the role of coffeehouses in the birth of the public sphere : they were spaces where people could discuss things freely, outside of official hierarchies of power. According to Habermas, these places represented a laboratory of modern democracy.

Toward the end of the 17th century, these shops began to appear in Vienna, and coffee began to play an important role in the daily lives of citizens of all social classes, where people gathered to read the newspaper and discuss current events while sipping the beverage. During the 18th and 19th centuries, coffeehouses spread throughout Europe, especially in France and Italy, becoming places of social gathering for artists, politicians, and intellectuals. Charles Baudelaire and Honoré de Balzac were regulars in Parisian coffeehouses, while in Italy, cities like Turin , Milan , and Venice saw the birth of the first literary cafés, spaces where literature, politics, and culture were discussed.

The social role of coffee

In the contemporary context, coffee maintains a strong social function, but changes depending on the context and methods of consumption.

For sociologist Massimo Cerulo, the drink represents a perfect example of a "minimal ritual" because it falls within those daily actions that, while seemingly banal and repetitive, have a powerful social impact. Through the act of sharing a coffee, people establish moments of connection, communication, and sometimes even intimacy. These seemingly ordinary moments play an important role in social cohesion and the maintenance of interpersonal networks.

coffee sociology cuccumella
The Neapolitan cuccumella.

In his book “ The Little Things That Matter ” (2018), Cerulo explores how this beverage can be a tool for creating spaces for social interaction even in the most frenetic contexts of modern life. Even a short break in the office or at a bar becomes an opportunity to create informal relationships that often transcend the boundaries of functional and work-related interactions.

Between the public and the private

As anthropologist Gianpaolo Fassino points out , coffee at the bar represents a rite of passage between the private and the public, especially in large Italian cities. Drinking a coffee at the counter is a moment of rapid socialization, connecting people in a casual and informal form of solidarity. This type of "fast" socialization becomes a symbol of urbanity and the accelerated pace of modern life.

In contrast, a homemade moka pot is a more intimate experience, often associated with family warmth and a slower pace of life: it's as if the moka pot beverage had an emotional value. Coffee is often linked to daily rituals that structure domestic life, such as breakfast with the family or a break after lunch. The moka pot, from this perspective, represents a connection to tradition and a gesture of care, not only towards oneself, but also towards others.

In the contemporary context, coffee also plays a role in work and networking dynamics. With the rise of digital and flexible work, places where this beverage is typically consumed have become the new "temporary offices" for freelancers and professionals. Anthropologist David Lyon has described this phenomenon as part of "liquid surveillance ," where traditional workplaces are dematerializing, bringing work into public spaces like cafes, creating new dynamics of mutual observation and monitoring.

Coffee in Naples: a special case

Of all Italian cities, Naples has a particularly profound and symbolic relationship with coffee. The drink here is not just a tradition, but a true ritual: anthropologist Ernesto De Martino was the first to analyze coffee in Naples as a collective ritual, embodying the soul of the city.

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One of the most emblematic practices of Naples' relationship with the beverage is the "suspended coffee." This tradition involves paying for a coffee in advance for an unknown person, who will drink it in the future. This gesture embodies the solidarity and sharing typical of Neapolitan culture: the suspended coffee reflects the city's ethos of hospitality and mutual support, combining a material dimension (offering something concrete) with a symbolic dimension (anonymous solidarity).

In Naples, coffee is not just a personal pleasure, but a symbol of identity. Neapolitan coffee, prepared with the classic Neapolitan coffee maker (also known as a cuccumella), has a ritual significance, associated with deliberate slowness and careful preparation. Here, coffee is not just a beverage, but a representation of a philosophy of life that values ​​community bonds and the pleasure of shared moments.

Do you want coffee?

In Neapolitan culture, the bar is a fundamental place for socializing . Several scholars have described Neapolitan bars as spaces where daily life intertwines with moments of discussion and collective expression. At the bar, people discuss football, politics, and personal affairs, but always in an open and often exuberant convivial atmosphere. But here it takes on a further meaning: 'O vuò 'o ccafè!? is an expression that encompasses (in all its possible variations) the pursuit of convivial practice, as well as the perfect opportunity to start a potential conversation off on the right foot and with the right energy.

Writer and popularizer Amedeo Colella's explanation of coffee in Naples

Ultimately, coffee has spanned centuries and borders, maintaining a central role in people's social and cultural lives. From its role in 18th-century European literary salons to its presence in homes and bars today, this beverage has continued to be a moment of human connection. In Naples, this phenomenon takes on unique connotations, with its sociolinguistic identity in conviviality and its social-solidarity use of sharing and integration.

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