Born in the summer of 2022 in Milan, not far from Via Meda, Naviglio Pavese – Tibaldi area, Ècate is the first bookshop café in Milan offering books and activities on topics related to the world of personal growth, wellness, spirituality and self-care.
The planning time was quite long, it was necessary to properly identify the soul and contours of the place. A space where one could feel at home, where one could meet like-minded people, create synergies and share paths of personal growth. An unusual and super familiar space!
Caffè Libreria from books, to the place, to food proposals
It is precisely mythology that has inspired the name ÈCATE. Ècate, often represented in the three stages of life – the maiden, the young girl, the mother – is an ancient divinity worshipped in pre-Indo-European times as a universal mother, later downgraded with Hellenism to a ‘dark’ deity, an aspect meant to represent the less luminous side of the human mind.
Ècate Caffè Libreria’s philosophy
In our early vision, Ècate had to be the right balance between a café and a cultural space, but not only; it had to be cozy, an environment where you could find the right energy and a good level of serenity in the few minutes of a coffee. The main intention is to make Ècate a place to stay, but also a place to be.
Diego and Alberto
It is this intriguing turn towards esotericism and inner worlds that one breathes when entering the premises: among several books dedicated to well-being and personal growth, there are also publications related to the spiritual world and the possibility of booking private Tarot reading sessions and astrology consultations.
How and where did the idea of the bookshop café come about?
After years of planning, Ècate is a dream come true: a gathering space where books are the protagonist and accompany customers towards the natural well-being of body, mind and spirit.
The creators and founders Diego Leone and Alberto Manieri, partners in the publishing house Do it human since 2015 and in life for some time now, decided to transfer the philosophy behind their publications to a physical location. Here, psychophysical well-being, personal development, psychology and communication are to be accompanied by a good coffee or a glass of wine, surrounded by books and plants from morning to night.
The breakfast, lunch and aperitif menuI
First quality products from breakfast, lunch and up to aperitifs, reading a book, having a chat or participating in one of the book presentations or projects according to the Ècate programme.
The sweet items (croissants, pain au chocolat) are made by a French patisserie workshop, while some of the products, both sweet and savoury, are typical of Apulia, the region from which the owners themselves come (such as pasticciotti leccesi, rustico and focaccia barese).
Lunch break with international flavours
The Bistrò area sees a triumph of international flavours creating sandwiches (made with Altamura bread) and gourmet salads, named after a goddess or a mythological place, such as Diana, Kali, Oyà, Valhalla, to name a few. (see menu)
For those who want to drink to their heart’s content, there is also a wide selection of organic beverages and for aperitifs some Italian wines and craft beers bearing the customised Ècate label.
Proposals for the veggie and the food sensitive people
To meet everyone’s needs, Ècate offers a wide range of vegan and vegetarian options, such as the Isis sandwich prepared with chickpea hummus, sun-dried tomatoes, grilled courgettes and crispy onion (which expresses its best flavour when served with multi-grain wholemeal bread) and a selection of salads that can also satisfy an audience with special dietary needs, including gluten-free.
What’s on at Ècate: the events programme
The team, thanks to the dual soul of publishing house/bookshop bistro, in addition to making books available to browse and purchase, also organises book presentations, both by their own authors and by outside authors dealing with the same themes, with the possibility of taking advantage of their evening aperitif proposal, the Hekataia aperitif, available in both classic and enhanced versions, depending on how hungry you are!
For info Ècate Caffè Libreria:
📍Via Pomponazzi, 9E (Navigli – Tibaldi)
📩 INSTAGRAM
Upcoming events scheduled February/March:
- From Monday 20 February, a guidance session on tarot card reading and interpretation will begin
- Thursday 23 February 2023 – Messages from the Tarot with Alberto Manieri: public lecture on tarot card reading.
- Wednesday 1 March, Barter Evening – Swap party (exchange of clothes and objects of all kinds).
- Thursday 2 March, Workshop presentation nights on specific topics such as happiness and pleasure
- Presentation of the book “Sognavo la cioccolata e Beautiful ma la meditazione mi ha salvato” (I dreamed of chocolate and Beautiful but meditation saved me) by Viviana Musumeci (author Do it human)
- Presentation of the book by Ginny Chiara Viola (@unaparolabuonapertutti), “L’era dell’acquario” and “Nonlibro dei tarocchi” by Fabio Albertini, astrological night with Mia Pluvén(astrologer) and many more…
