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You probably don’t think about it when taking a bite of a delicious pizza with a crispy Monte Pizza Crust, but this Italian dish has a long history. We are traveling three thousand years back in time when in the ninth century BC the people of the Etruscans settled in what is now the middle of Italy. The beginningThe Etruscans baked flat pieces of dough with various kinds of topping on hot stones. Ancient writings by Greeks who lived in southern Italy at the same time show that they also knew a similar dish. A few centuries later, the Romans adopted this idea. In texts by the Roman writer Vergilius we see references to baking ‘crushed dough with olive oil and herbs’.
In the Middle Ages a simple dish became popular around the city of Naples: The ‘picea’. It was a round and flat piece of dough that was topped with cheap and easy to obtain ingredients such as onions, olives and bacon. By the end of the sixteenth century, tomatoes were also added. Some bakeries specialized in baking the ‘picea’ and were called ‘pizzaioli’ (pizza bakers). PiceaThe origin of the word ‘picea’, which soon became ‘pizza’, is not quite clear. In the Neapolitan dialect it means ‘snap’ and it can be a reference to how the pizza baker puts the dough in the oven. Some linguists refer to the ancient dialect of the northern Italian province of Lombardy in which the word ‘bizzo’ has the meaning ‘stuk bread’ or ‘stuk dough’.
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Frequently asked questions
When did pizza originate?▼
Pizza's origins trace back to ancient civilizations. The Etruscans baked flat dough with toppings on hot stones around the 9th century BC, while Greeks and Romans later adopted similar dishes. The modern pizza developed in Naples during the Middle Ages.
What does the word 'pizza' mean?▼
The origin of 'pizza' (originally 'picea') is unclear. In Neapolitan dialect it means 'snap,' possibly referring to how bakers placed dough in the oven. Some linguists link it to the Lombardy dialect word 'bizzo,' meaning 'piece of bread' or 'piece of dough.'
When was the first pizzeria opened?▼
The first pizzeria, Port Alba, opened in 1830 in Naples. It was the first restaurant where customers could sit at a table and eat pizza, revolutionizing how pizza was consumed and making it more accessible to the public.
What is Pizza Margherita and why is it famous?▼
Pizza Margherita was created in 1889 by pizza baker Raffaele Esposito when he prepared pizza for King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. The special pizza was named in honor of the queen and remains a popular classic variety today.
What ingredients were used in medieval Naples pizza?▼
Medieval 'picea' was topped with inexpensive, readily available ingredients like onions, olives, and bacon. Tomatoes were added to the pizza by the end of the 16th century, transforming it into the dish we recognize today.