Gran Caffè Renzelli
Corso Telesio 46
A historic café and pastry shop on Corso Telesio, trading since 1803 according to the register of historic businesses and run by the seventh generation of the same family. It makes the varchiglia alla monacale, a sweet of convent tradition.
The story
Gran Caffè Renzelli is at number 46, Corso Telesio. The Unioncamere register of historic businesses gives 1803 as its start date and says it began as a sorbet shop, later becoming a maker of sweets, sugared almonds, nougat and pastries. The Renzelli family still runs it, now in its seventh generation. It supplied sweets to the Royal House of Savoy, won two gold medals and a Grand Prize at international exhibitions, and in the 1950s made yogurt, introducing it to the city.
Its speciality is the varchiglia alla monacale: an oval shortcrust pastry with a soft filling of almonds, cocoa and egg white, covered in dark chocolate. The name comes from the Spanish "barquilla", little boat. Tradition ties it to a Cosenza convent and a fourteenth-century recipe; in 2022 Renzelli received the Dino Villani prize of the Italian Academy of Cuisine for this sweet. It is also said that the Bandiera brothers stopped here before their execution in 1844: this is a local tale that we have not been able to confirm with documents.
What to look for
Step into the two rooms, one red and one green, and have a varchiglia with your coffee. The historic café is on Corso Telesio, close to the Cathedral.
In the story
Food & Traditions. Recipes that have existed for centuries, in the few places where they are still made the old way.
Before you go
Opening hours and entrances can change: check on Google Maps or on the spot before you set off.
The old town is explored on foot and has a few climbs: how to get here and around.
Sources
Texts built on public sources. Where sources disagree we say so; if you spot a mistake or have an extra document, write to us.
- Renzelli 1803 S.r.l. - Imprese storiche, Unioncamere in Italian unioncamere.gov.it
- Dove siamo - Gran Caffè Renzelli (sito ufficiale) in Italian renzelli.com
- Varchiglia alla Monacale gr. 300 - Gran Caffè Renzelli (scheda prodotto) in Italian renzelli.com
- #andarpercaffè: Gran Caffè Renzelli - Istituto italiano di cultura di Amburgo (esteri.it) in Italian iicamburgo.esteri.it
- Il Gran Caffè Renzelli, il caffè storico di Cosenza - itCosenza (italiani.it) in Italian italiani.it
- Con la storica varchiglia alla monacale il Renzelli conquista il premio Villani - Cosenza Channel (21 nov 2022) in Italian cosenzachannel.it
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