Caffè dell'Ussero dal 1775, Lucca Travel Guide

Historical Legacy

Founded on September 1, 1775, in the ground floor of the quattrocento Palazzo Agostini—known as Palazzo Rosso for its distinctive terracotta facade—Caffè dell'Ussero stands as Italy's third-oldest café after Venice's Florian (1720) and Rome's Greco (1760). Originally opened by Cosimo Agostini Venerosi as an open space for all social classes, it contrasted noble private salons, promoting free speech and equality. This incubator of ideas hosted literary salons, artistic gatherings, and pivotal Risorgimento meetings, including the organization of the University Battalion's expedition to Curtatone and Montanara.

Palazzo Agostini Architecture

The palazzo traces its roots to the 14th century when the Astajo family merged medieval tower houses, employing economical yet scenic terracotta bricks that lend its iconic reddish hue. Acquired by the silk-trading Agostini family in 1496, it features Gothic bifore and trifore windows emblazoned with family crests. A private hanging garden spans four levels at the rear, while the site once housed early film projections before the adjacent Cinema Lumière opened in 1905 as Italy's oldest cinema.

Cultural Significance

Named after French hussar officers (usseri) who frequented the premises in the 1750s alongside Grand Duke Francesco I of Lorraine, the café earned aliases like Caffè delle Stanze—linked to the upstairs civic club from 1818—and Caffè dell’Unione, site of the 1839 First Italian Congress of Scientists. Patrons included Domenico Guerrazzi, Giuseppe Montanelli, Giuseppe Giusti, Giosuè Carducci, and Giuseppe Mazzini. Legends persist of a walled-up hussar ghost rattling chains, adding mystique.

Through the Centuries

Requisitioned by Allied forces in 1944, it reopened as a café-tobacconist in 1945 under the name Usserino before returning to its original site in 1959 post-restoration. Today, it offers classic bar and caffè service in Giacomo Leopardi's famed "most beautiful" Lungarno stretch, evoking Pisa's intellectual golden age amid Arno River views.

Modern Allure

The café maintains its role as a cultural landmark, its walls bearing traces of illustrious visitors. Positioned in Pisa's vibrant Lungarno district, it invites travelers to sip espresso while absorbing 250 years of history in an atmosphere blending aristocratic elegance with democratic spirit.