Neapolitan pizza has been UNESCO intangible heritage since 2017. But not all of Naples' pizza is the same: here is the guide to the historic pizzerias and the secrets of the perfect dough.
Neapolitan pizza: a 200-year history
The Margherita pizza was created in 1889 by the pizza maker Raffaele Esposito in honour of Queen Margherita of Savoy: white mozzarella, red tomato and green basil - the colours of the Italian flag. And from that moment pizza never stopped conquering the world.
The rules of authenticity
The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana has codified the rules: dough with 00 flour and natural brewer's yeast, 8-24 hours of proving, San Marzano DOP tomato, Campania fior di latte or buffalo mozzarella, baking in a wood-fired oven at 450-480 degrees C for 60-90 seconds.
The result: high, soft edges (the "cornicione"), a thin base in the centre that folds, an open crumb reminiscent of a leopard. Not crispy - soft, elastic, alive.
The historic pizzerias
L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele (1870): Only Margherita and Marinara, in an unpretentious venue in Via Cesare Sersale. The queue often exceeds 40 minutes. It is worth every second.
Sorbillo (1935): A wider selection, more varied in toppings. The fried pizza is a masterpiece. Often packed with tourists - but the quality holds up.
Di Matteo (1936): Famous for fried pizza and the cuoppo of mixed fried snacks. Bill Clinton came here in 1994 during the G7 - the photo is on display at the entrance.