Ditta Artigianale has announced the opening of a coffee school in its latest café, Ditta Artigianale Carducci, in the former monastery of Sant’Ambrogio in Florence, Italy in September 2021.
Ditta Artigianale calls the coffee school the first permanent coffee educational center in Europe to be hosted by a café and open to the public.
The building is estimated to have been created in the fifth or sixth century.
Ditta Artigianale Carducci, or Via Carducci, is a collaboration between the Italian coffee roaster and Japanese coffee equipment manufacturer Hario. The space is expected to be a permanent place of learning and meeting spot for all coffee lovers.
Ditta Artigianale carried out Renovations of the monastery in collaboration with Comune di Firenze and the property’s owners ASP Firenze Montedomini. International brands Hario, Simonelli Group, Caffè Corsini, and Confcommercio Firenze will all be Technical Partners of the school.
The director of the school will be Simone Amenini, who will teach alongside Italian Barista Champion Francesco Masciullo. Classes for the Coffee School begin September 2021 with a goal to educate attendees on the process behind making a cup of coffee.
Lessons cover how beans are grown on the farms to the roasting and brewing with a focus on environmental sustainability in the process. Coffee origins, taste variations and different extraction methods will be taught, along with the importance of hosptiality proffessionalism.
Francesco Sanapo, Former Barista Champion, Cup Taster, and Co-Founder of Ditta Artigianale says, “I believe that this is a new page for the history of coffee in Italy. I strongly wanted a Coffee School, an educational place where to bring passion and professional knowledge which distinguishes Ditta not only in the service but also in the training of new baristas.”
The school will seek to create not only great baristas, but roasters, tasters, and entrepreneurs who wish to create their own start ups, roaster or coffee bars. Upon completion, graduates will be eligible for educational internships from third wave companies, along with scholarschips for Specialty Coffee Association certified courses.
“Here at Ditta, we believe it’s fundamental to create a new and more professional background for those who stand behind the counter,” says Sanapo.
“We study every kind of bean and we regulate the roasting profile in order to increase their flavor and aroma. We train our baristas to teach them not only knowledge, but also passion for a product as precious as our coffee. We want this love to be felt by every customer who steps into our cafes.”
The monastery has stood vacant for the past 35 years and required four years of renovation. Restoration on the garden grounds and interior were carried out with the space now featuring neatural tones, exposed wood, cement, and steel beams with the custom-made coffee bar and pastry cabinet sitting as the centerpiece.
The old refectory has been transformed into Coffee School. A Coffee Quality Institute and Specialty Coffee Association certificated lab, events room, and barista shop have all been introduced to the space along with state-of-the-art equipment.
Patrick Hoffer, Co-Founder or Ditta Artigianale says, “Ditta Artigianale Carducci is a 14th century spot in a 19th century area of the city, a wonderful mix of styles and ages. I’m happy about this renovation which brings back a timeless flavor, respectful of the history of this place.”
Via Carducci will be the third Ditta Artigianale café opened in Florence, following via De Neri which opened in 2014 and via dello Sprone in 2016. Open everyday from 8:30am to midnight, the Via Carducci café offers breakfast to lunch meals with a range on specialty coffees available.
On opening week, three speciality coffees will be on offer: Sudan Rume Natural, ‘Laurina Natural, and Geisha. These varieites were grown by the Holguin family in Immaculada, a Colombian farm. Coffee will be available in a range of methods, including espresso, V60, Syphon, Aeropress, Cold Brew and Steampunk.
