The Ancient Greek Café

On a small table in the Greek Café Gogol' wrote most of Dead Souls. Schopenhauer also often went to the same café, always carrying a white poodle he called Atma ( soul of the world ).

In the cafeteria he risked being attacked by a group of German painters known as the Nazarenes for insulting Germany: for him it was the stupidest nation on earth, the only superiority he recognised was that it could do without religion.

Among the famous customers of the Antico Caffè Greco was Liszt, who came to Rome every year and was a guest in the best salons. An anecdote is told about a princess who had invited him to a lunch.

The noblewoman asked Liszt to play something. To the composer that request must have seemed an indelicacy so after sitting down at the piano and playing a couple of chords he got up and said :

"Madame, le diner est payè. and without looking back had left the hall and the palace.