The Accademia del Caffè Espresso, located in Florence, Italy, and newly open to the public, offers classes, tours, and much more.
BY CHRIS RYAN
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
As most coffee professionals know, La Marzocco has a storied history: The Italy-based espresso machine manufacturer celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2018 and has been a pioneering force in the worldwide growth of specialty coffee.
Now La Marzocco is sharing a piece of its history—as well its ongoing, forward-thinking work developing espresso machines—via the public opening of the Accademia del Caffè Espresso. Located in the Florence, Italy, home of La Marzocco’s former factory space, the Accademia opened to the public this weekend, offering a range of educational opportunities and tours.
The Accademia’s offerings will target both those interested in coffee and those working in the field professionally. The former, dubbed “experiences,” are geared toward the general public who want to learn more about coffee. Meanwhile, the classes at the center will focus on specific topics in coffee professionals’ development.
The team at La Marzocco hopes the new center will not just showcase their machines, but will highlight the entire supply chain that contributes to the specialty-coffee experience. “I hope Accademia will contribute to spread culture, education, and fascination around espresso coffee across our industry, while at the same time bringing awareness and action for a more virtuous cycle that can bring value to the producers,” says Guido Bernardinelli, La Marzocco’s CEO.
The Accademia is opening with seven different experiences and four classes, with more offerings to be added in the near future. The lead instructors for the center’s educational selections are coffee education leader Nora Smahelova and research coffee leader Massimo Battaglia.
La Marzocco will host a set of Open Days at the Accademia on October 26-27, timed to welcome visitors making the trek to the HOST Milano and World Coffee Championships events taking place this month in Milan. Those interested in visiting can contact info@accademiaespresso.com for additional information. Additional tours and experiences in October can be booked at the Accademia’s website.
Now that the center is open to the public, La Marzocco looks forward to welcoming the community in the days, weeks, and months to come. “We hope Accademia humbly becomes the most important center of inspiration for espresso coffee excellence in the world,” says Guido.
For more on Accademia del Caffè Espresso, visit the website here.
