Meet the Female Pizzaioli of Naples
It doesn’t hurt to be a famous pizzaiolo, but culinary expertise isn’t required to have some fun in Italy. No one knows this better than Livia Hengel, an Italian-American journalist based in Rome. She once moved to Naples for a couple of months to meet the city’s pizzaioli and eat their life-changing pies.
“Back in 2018, I spent two months eating my way through Naples on a quest to uncover the city’s best pizza,” said Livia. “A pizza isn’t just a pizza in Naples. A simple Margherita is a work of art—skillfully kneaded, seasoned, and baked by one of many talented pizzaioli.” If two months sounds crazy, think again. There are more than 8,000 pizzerias in Naples, and UNESCO even recognized the longstanding tradition of Neapolitan pizza making as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage program.
What was Livia’s favorite discovery? “The city’s celebrated female pizzaioli. They adeptly flip and fry the lesser-known pizza fritta—half-moon pies filled with ricotta, crispy bits of bacon, and deep-fried on the spot.”
Keep scrolling for a virtual taste of Culinary Naples: Producers, Purveyors, and Pizzaioli, an Atlas Obscura trip departing this fall.
Margherita and Marinara may be the classic Neapolitan pizzas, but Salsiccia and Friarielli (sausage and broccoli rabe) is a popular flavor combination at Concettina ai Tre Santi. LIVIA HENGEL
The popularity of Concettina ai Tre Santi has helped put Rione Sanità, a colorful yet historically maligned neighborhood, on the map. LIVIA HENGEL
For decades, Da Fernanda has been frying up pizza fritta out of a small storefront in Quartieri Spagnoli. LIVIA HENGEL
Fernanda’s famous €3 fried pizza pockets come stuffed with ricotta, cicoli (fatty pork bits), tomato sauce, and black pepper. LIVIA HENGEL
A popular pizzeria in the centro storico, La Figlia del Presidente serves fragrant fried pizzas and fluffy pies. LIVIA HENGEL
A true matriarch, Maria Cacialli of La Figlia del Presidente oversees a full squad of pizzaioli—all of them men—including her husband and son. LIVIA HENGEL
The Margherita at Le Figlie di Iorio. It was invented in the 1800s to honor the Queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, by using ingredients that represent the Italian flag: tomatoes (red), mozzarella (white), and basil (green). LIVIA HENGEL
Teresa Iorio, the 19th of 20 children, followed in her father's footsteps and has become one of the city’s most famous female pizzaioli at Le Figlie di Iorio. LIVIA HENGEL
Sorbillo is arguably the most popular pizzeria in Naples. It’s not uncommon to line up for hours to snag a coveted seat inside. LIVIA HENGEL
By Nick Papa
I’m the editor of the Atlas Obscura trips blog. I talk to our trip leaders, travelers, and friends in the industry about how they explore the world’s wondrous places.
