The legedary Caffe Greco in Rome is to be taken from the current leaseholder. This is a result of a lenghty lawsuit. Caffe Greco is full of memorabilia after Polish writers and poets. That's why Polish deputy prime minister and minister of culture visited the cafe on Friday.
Gliński announced that his ministry will send a request to Rome authorities and the owner of the legendary cafe's seat to closely examine its situation. "We're mostly concerned with cultural heritage," minister Gliński said during his visit in Antico Caffe Greco, where he admired the gathered artefacts.
Heritage
Italian daily "Il Messaggero" wrote about the cafe's problems. Antico Caffe Greco was opened in 1760, right next to the Piazza di Spagna. It's been long considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Throughout the years, it hosted prominent intellectuals and artist, inlcuding: Byron, Goethe, Liszt, Keats and Wagner. Souvenirs and portraits remind the visitors about its legendary guests.
The cafe is also very close to the hearts of Poles. Among famous Polish guests were: Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Słowacki, Cyprian Kamil Norwid, Henryk Sienkiewicz, brothers Aleksander and Maksymilian Gierymski. In 2006, thanks to efforts of Polish diplomats, a photo of Czesław Miłosz was hanged on the wall.
Antico Caffe Greco is also a big art gallery. In its midst, some 300 paintings, other artwork and antiques can be found. The cafe is one of the most important reminders of a forgotten era and tourists from all around the world tick the cafe on their must-see lists.
Court ruling
Nevertheless, the premises hosting the cafe must return to the owner, namely the private Israelite Hospital, which had inherited the ownership.
The legal battle commenced after the lease contract expired in 2017. The lessee tried to buy the place from the hospital, but its management rejected the offer. Furthermore, the owner raised the rent from 16,000 euro to 80,000 per month, which was protested by the cafe's management. After the deal expired, the negotiations of new terms ended in a fiasco.
Finally, the court in Rome ruled that the lessee must leave the premises.
Media in Rome already appealed to the Italian ministry of culture asking for intervention to save the cafe. They argued that they would find unbelievable if a legendary venue full of artwork, once visited by the most famous artists of the last two centuries, disappeared from the Eternal City.
First attempt to retrieve the keys
"Il Messaggero" cited the representative of the owner who reassures that they only want to change the management. "There are plenty big firms that are ready to invest in Antico Caffe Greco," he said. One firm, he added, declared readiness to pay the "appropriate rent". According to unofficial information, it's a fashion brand and the negotiations are advanced.
The owners of the premises set in the tenement building located at one of Rome's premier shopping streets - via Condotti reassure that they won't close the cafe and all the historical artefacts shall remain intact.
"Il Messagero" also wrote that the first attempt to retrieve the keys from the leaseholder was set for June 12.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: Twitter - @MKiDN_GOV_PL