Key facts
- A 19th-century document from the San Marco convent in Florence describes a restorative wine elixir.
- The elixir's recipe contained Bolivian coca leaves and kola nuts, blended with wine.
- The friars promoted the potion as a tonic to combat fatigue.
- The discovery has led to speculation that it could be a precursor to Coca-Cola.
- The friars' pharmacy, established in 1460, still operates today.
A document unearthed from the pharmacy archives of the San Marco convent in Florence details a 19th-century medicinal potion that some suggest could be a precursor to Coca-Cola. Father Manuel Russo, rector of the convent, discovered the document while sorting through archives. The flyer describes a restorative wine elixir, or 'elixir vinoso ricostituente,' made with 10g of Bolivian coca leaves and 30g of kola nut, blended with wine.
The friars who concocted it promoted the elixir as a tonic to help the body and mind recuperate from fatigue caused by illness and aging. The document is believed to date from the mid-19th century, a period when missionaries imported Bolivian coca leaves to Italy, long before they were globally banned in 1961 for containing the natural alkaloid used to make cocaine.
This recipe bears similarities to the one used by American pharmacist John Pemberton, who in 1886 created a sweet syrup by mixing coca leaf extract and kola nuts. Pemberton's tonic eventually became Coca-Cola, though local alcohol laws prevented him from using wine, leading him to combine the ingredients with carbonated water.
Following Russo's discovery, some local news outlets have raised questions about whether the soft drink's origins might lie in Florence. However, Russo emphasizes that there is no direct evidence linking the friars' creation to Coca-Cola's recipe. He noted that Pemberton invented his own recipe without alcohol and that similar medicines made with coca leaves were common in Italy and France at the time.
Other documents found by Russo indicate that the San Marco convent's concoction was popular among customers, with prices ranging from 2 to 6 Italian lira. It was considered a bestseller until Bolivian coca leaves were banned. The San Marco convent was founded in 1436, and its pharmacy opened in 1460 to serve the local poor community. The pharmacy still operates today, though its location was moved in 1995.