From the middle of the 17th century, coffee, tea, tobacco, and chocolate 'invaded' Europe, also arriving in Verona. Coffee, at first considered as a medicine, soon became a fashionable drink, extraordinarily popular and enjoyed in company in the 'coffee shops'. Its stimulating qualities fit well into the lifestyle of the bourgeoisie, a rising class that exalted commitment and enterprise. 

The fate of chocolate, appreciated for its high nutritional value and initially believed to have aphrodisiac properties, was different. For a while, it became the hallmark of the aristocracy. Its role profoundly changed over time: it spread to all social classes and was considered particularly suitable for women and children.

Giovanni Dalla Bona, an 18th century illustrious Veronese physician, advised as follows: 'I try it from experience: if in summer I do not take chocolate I cannot continue the order of my visits, because I feel  languid and exhausted'. How not to follow such an opinion?