Deus Ex Machina

It's a bird! It's a rocket-ship! It's: the Venus Century!
"What is that!?" is one of the most common questions here on Pa'shunk Avenue. The incredulous patron in quotation can always be found staring, mesmerized by the espresso machine that rises over three feet high, proudly in the front window. This is Victoria, the Venus Century manufactured by Victoria Arduino from the Marche region of Italy.
Engineer and inventor Pier Teresio developed the world's first espresso machine in 1905, with a steam-powered engine. The Venus Century is a limited edition model celebrating one hundred years of production for Victoria Arduino (Victoria, after Pier's wife). Each machine is built with the care of creating a sculpture. It takes 11 technicians, 76 hours, and 983 pieces to compose. It's made of stainless steel and weighs almost 190 pounds! Only 100 machines were created. Number 1 was a gift to the Pope. Our resident machine is number 6.

The name says it all. To the ancient Romans, Venus was the Goddess of Love. The planet, Venus was named after her. It is often the most visible planet from Earth and is the brightest thing in the sky, besides our Luna. Etymologically, Venus comes has roots in venerari, to honor or try to please and venia, grace or favor. It is also rooted in *venes-, as in the Latin venenum meaning poison, venom, drug, or magic charm.

In the modern-day, we no longer offer gifts to the divine, such as Venus. But in this appropriation of the symbol of Venus, the Goddess offers you a bit of her Love. As if harnessing some form of ancient Magic, your South Philly barista can procure a portion of this enlivening substance in under a minute. Nothing washes the sleep and fog from one's mind like the smooth, rich crema as it warms the soul from the inside out, like a touch from the Fertile Goddess herself.

And I'm not trying to draw any conclusions here, but I will say that the shiny Venus machine has been expelling tiny shots of Love here on the Avenue for about 11 months now, and the fecundity of the local ladies seems to be thriving. (So many smiling new mothers and very soon-to-be mothers!!)

(image: "La Victoria Arduino" by Leonetto Cappiella, 1922)