Francesco Procopio
Le Procope is one of Paris’s iconic cafés and the oldest in the city! Located at No. 13 Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie, in the trendy Saint-Germain-des-Prés district.
Today, coffee is an integral part of our daily lives, but its introduction to Paris was relatively late, even though the Venetians discovered it in Constantinople in 1555 during their travels. Indeed, it wasn’t until 1670 that coffee arrived in Paris, thanks to Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli, a resourceful young nobleman from Palermo.
His entrepreneurial spirit led him to open a street stall where he began selling coffee by the cup. He eventually found a job as a clerk at the Café Pascal, the official establishment of the Foire Saint-Germain.
Established by King Louis II in 1482 on the grounds of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, this annual fair attracted visitors from all over France and Europe. It remained a major economic and social event until the beginning of the French Revolution.
Le Procope, the first Parisian café
Procopio’s coffee business flourished, and he was able to amass enough savings to start his own company. Taking advantage of coffee’s growing popularity, he rented a stall at the fair, and his coffee quickly became a favourite drink among Parisians.
In 1675, he had enough money to buy a small shop on Rue de Tournon. Then, in 1684, he established himself on the Rue des Fossés-Saint-Germain, now the Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie, a stone’s throw from the colleges of the Latin Quarter.
In 1689, the famous Comédie Française theatre moved to new premises directly across from Procopio’s café, whose coffee became the favourite drink of actors and spectators alike. Procopio, drawing on his Italian heritage, his success, and his taste for aesthetics, spared no expense in furnishing his café. He imported luxurious mirrors and decorated the interior with exquisite refinement, attracting an exclusive clientele of regulars.
Besides coffee, tea, chocolate, and various liqueurs, he introduced an innovative dessert, practically unknown at the time: ice cream!
When Procopio retired in 1716, Le Procope had established itself as the most prestigious café-restaurant in Paris. His son, Alexandre, took over Le Procope and transformed it into a haunt for the intellectual elite and leading writers of the 18th century. Le Procope became the premier literary café-restaurant not only in Paris, but in the world.
For over two centuries, writers, philosophers, intellectuals, and politicians, both famous and lesser-known, gathered there. Voltaire considered Le Procope his “office,” where he engaged in lively discussions and wrote some of his most significant works. Diderot, too, drew inspiration from it, spending countless hours writing articles for his monumental “Encyclopedia.” D’Alembert and Jean de La Fontaine were also among its renowned regulars. When Alexandre died in 1753, Le Procope was a beacon intellectual enlightenment in Paris.
Le Procope, the lair of the Parisan intelligentsia
The departure of the Comédie-Française in 1770 led to a decline in patronage at Le Procope. However, the café experienced a resurgence in popularity in 1782 when the theatre moved to the nearby Place de l’Odeon, once again attracted actors and artists, including Beaumarchais.
Then the French Revolution erupted! Located in the heart of Paris, Le Procope became a meeting place for Danton, Robespierre, and Marat. It is said that they even had their own designated napkin rings. Legend also has it that Napoleon Bonaparte, then a young, penniless corporal, even left his hat there as collateral, a relic now displayed at the entrance, and that Benjamin Franklin wrote passages of the American Constitution at Le Procope.
After the revolution, Zoppi, then the landlord, attempted to revive the literary café, but the scars of the Revolution persisted, hindering its success. Le Procope regained favour with the leading figures of 19th-century Romantic literature. Writers such as Victor Hugo, George Sand, Théophile Gautier, Anatole France, Balzac, and Alfred de Musset were regulars. However, the café struggled to regain its former renown until the 1860s, when the rising political star, Gambetta, began frequenting the establishment.
However, this brief resurgence in popularity was short-lived, and Le Procope was eventually auctioned off in 1872 and purchased by Baroness Thénard, who preserved the café’s character. Over time, it evolved to host various businesses and artistic circles, eventually transforming into a more affordable restaurant. During this period, personalities such as Verlaine and Oscar Wilde frequented Le Procope, Wilde enjoying the atmosphere so much that he often stayed until closing time.
Modern day Procope
Le Procope changed hands many times before reopening in 1952, when it regained its status as a literary café. Since then, it has hosted prestigious award ceremonies, including the “Prix de l’Humour Noir” (Black Humour Prize) since 1954, the “Prix Jean-Zay” since 2005, and the “Prix Procope des Lumières” (Procope Prize for Enlightenment) since 2011.
Between 1988 and 1989, Le Procope underwent a complete renovation, while preserving its original style and atmosphere. One of its rooms is adorned with the text of the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789,” and the decor features numerous objects and documents related to the French Revolution, including Napoleon’s famous bicorn hat and, of course, a commemorative plaque dedicated to Procopio. There are also humorous touches, such as the restroom doors which read “Citoyens’ and ‘Citoyennes’” (a reference to the French Revolution) instead of the traditional “Men/Women.”
The main entrance to the Procope is on Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie, where you can admire its wrought-iron balconies and its roof, which are both listed historical monuments. I prefer the rear entrance, in the Cour du Commerce Saint-André, which boasts a facade adorned with memorabilia and paintings that give it a unique character.
Directions: 6th district – 13 rue de l’Ancienne Comédie
Metro: Saint Germain des Prés on Line 4
Coordinates: Lat 48.853060 – Long 2.338801
