Da Bibe it is one of the oldest Florentine trattorias, perhaps the only one that has belonged to the same family for over 150 years. It was a distant relative of ours who set up this business in the early nineteenth century. Almost miraculously returned to his Tuscany after fighting in Russia alongside Napoleon, he decided to resume his previous innkeeper activity, which he then taught to his children. This activity, a real passion, more than just a job, was then passed down from generation to generation until we reached our great-grandfather who, in the early years of the last century, transformed the tavern into Trattoria del Ponte all’asse e vendita di Sali e Tabacchi which became one of the typical trattorias among the most famous in Florence.
Da Bibe… the real corner of Paradise …where you could meet artists such as Montale, Annigoni e Luzi
Our great grandfather had a very particular and demanding name:: Paradise. Perhaps for this reason everyone called him Bibe, which in Latin means drink. His recognizability and his kindness are testified even by Eugenio Montale who, fascinated by the figure of the innkeeper and by the splendid place that houses the restaurant, in 1937 wrote a poem entitled Bibe al ponte dell’Asse which was then published in his collection Le Occasioni
Montale also mentions Bibe's daughter in the poem… La bruna tua reginetta di Saba / mesce sorrisi…
…who, after a life spent in the kitchen, left us in December 2010. Today I Matteo Baudone,sixth generation, together with my parents Andrea e Daniela,we work every day to convey to you customers the same love for good food.
BIBE AL PONTE DELL’ASSE
Bibe,ospite lieve,
La bruna tua reginetta di Saba
Mesce sorrisi e Rufina di quattordici gradi.
Si vede in basso rilucere la terra
Fra gli aceri radi
E un bimbo curva la canna
Sul gomito della Greve
Eugenio Montale, 1937
Annigoni also got there on foot, Luzi felt at home!
Snow in Florence has become a rare event; many years ago, however, it snowed quite often, as in this painting which depicts the house where the restaurant is well covered in snow, on one of the occasions it snowed in the sixties. Among the many stories told about this old Florentine restaurant, it was remarked that for the painter Annigoni there was nothing more wonderful than to walk to the restaurant under heavy snow!
PAINTING BY ELENA SOLDANI NERI