Restaurants in Tuscany are again using "wine windows" made in the Middle Ages during the plague
Coronavirus times require medieval measures. At least that's what they thought in Tuscany. In this picturesque Italian region, they decided to revive the "wine windows" that were used during the plague in the 1630s. From now on, drinks and food will be transferred to Tuscan shops and bars through them in order to reduce the risks of coronavirus infection.
A little background information: "Wine windows" (Buchette del vino) are small through holes in the walls of elite residences, the first of which appeared in the XVII century. Such windows were owned by wealthy Florentines in order to sell surplus wine to the working class.
At the time of the plague in Italy, wine sellers understood the importance of self-isolation more than ever. They used "wine windows" in order to safely transfer drinks and food. Already in those years, they asked to put the payment in a metal tray so as not to touch the money with their hands, and then disinfected the tray with vinegar. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
And with the advent of the plague of the XXI century, which we call COVID-19, local restaurants and bars have revived the "wine windows" again — now they sell wine, aperol syringe and gelato through them.
Keywords: Wine | Italy | Coronavirus | Windows | Tuscany