Neapolitan pizza was not born as a luxury product. It developed in a dense, working-class and inventive city where a simple, hot and affordable meal had to be prepared quickly. Over time, this everyday food became one of Naples’ most recognisable symbols.
Naples, birthplace of a popular pizza
Topped flatbreads are much older than modern pizza. What distinguishes Naples in the 18th and 19th centuries is the meeting of risen dough, inexpensive topping and intense baking. Tomato, long viewed with suspicion in Europe, eventually entered the everyday diet of Naples. On dough it found an ideal support: simple, nourishing and easy to eat.
Pizza was sold in the streets, small shops and the first pizzerias. It accompanied neighbourhood life. It was not fixed in one recipe: toppings varied, but the principle remained the same—hand-stretched dough, a few ingredients and rapid baking.
Marinara and Margherita: two universal references
Two recipes are inseparable from Neapolitan tradition today. The Marinara classically combines tomato, garlic, oregano and oil. Its name does not mean seafood: it generally refers to the world of sailors and a simple, fragrant and economical preparation.
The Margherita brings together tomato, cheese, basil and oil. Popular tradition links it to Queen Margherita of Savoy’s visit to Naples in 1889 and pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito. Historians debate details of the story, but one thing is certain: this composition in Italian colours became a worldwide emblem.
A product, but above all a series of movements
Talking about Neapolitan pizza is not simply listing ingredients. The result depends on kneading, rest, balling, opening the disc, distributing toppings, loading and turning in the oven. The pizzaiolo’s hand is involved at every stage.
From Naples to international recognition
To protect this identity, Neapolitan pizzaioli created theAssociazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) in 1984. Its regulations describe the characteristics and methods associated with ‘true Neapolitan pizza’. The name ‘Pizza Napoletana’ was also registered at European level as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed.
In 2017, UNESCO inscribed the art of the Neapolitan pizzaiolo on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The inscription concerns living knowledge: dough preparation, opening movements, wood-fired baking, transmission in the bottega and the social role of the pizzaiolo.
Neapolitan pizza today
The tradition has travelled far beyond Campania. In every country, pizzaioli work with different flours, temperatures, service constraints and habits. Respecting the Neapolitan spirit is therefore not about mechanically reproducing an image: it requires understanding dough, oven and ingredient balance.
At Gastonello in Cabestany near Perpignan, this inspiration appears in pizzas with a soft centre, developed cornicione, Italian products and wood-fired baking. We do not turn tradition into folklore; we keep it alive in modern service with online ordering and chosen time slots.
Frequently asked questions
Must Neapolitan pizza be very crispy?
Not like a thin, dry pizza. Its centre generally remains soft, while the cornicione has a slightly crisp surface and a tender inside.
Was Margherita the first pizza?
No. Topped pizzas existed before the recipe associated with Queen Margherita. Margherita mainly became one of the most famous compositions.
Why is the cornicione so important?
It concentrates part of the work on fermentation, disc opening and baking. Its structure reveals information about the dough and control of heat.
References and sources
For further reading, these organisations and reference texts allow the main historical and technical points cited in the article to be checked.