Coffee was noted in Aleppo by the German physician botanist Leonhard Rauwolf, the first European to mention it, as chaube, in 1573; Rauwolf was closely followed by descriptions from other European travellers.
The vibrant trade between the Republic of Venice and the Muslims in North Africa, Egypt, and the East brought a large variety of African goods, including coffee, to this leading European port. Venetian merchants introduced coffee-drinking to the wealthy in Venice, charging them heavily for the beverage. In this way, coffee was introduced to Europe. Coffee became more widely accepted after Pope Clement VIII condoned its use in 1600, following controversy over whether it was acceptable for Catholics to consume it and appeals to ban the drink. The first European coffee house apart from those in the Ottoman Empire was opened in Venice in 1645.