A rare book published in Palermo in 1674 has been highlighted as one of the earliest documented accounts of coffee in Sicily. The text, a medical discourse on the beverage, was written by the local physician and humanist Giuseppe Galeano, offering a unique window into the early history of coffee consumption in Italy.
The historical document was brought to public attention by Orazio Rotondo, president of the Associazione Caffè Sicilia, during research into the island's coffee history. Titled "Il caffè con più diligenza esaminato..." (Coffee Examined with More Diligence...), the work analyzes the drink's properties in relation to human health from a 17th-century medical perspective.
In his discourse, Galeano described coffee as beneficial for digestion and a means to "invigorate the spirits." The rediscovery of the text is significant for coffee historians, offering insight into the early perception and spread of coffee in Southern Europe. According to industry media, only one other copy of the 1674 publication is cataloged in Italy's public library system, underscoring its rarity.