Pizza beyond the Margherita: a journey through history and Italy's infinite variations.

When we think of pizza, we often immediately picture the classic Margherita pizza—red tomatoes, white mozzarella, and green basil—an icon that seems to encapsulate the essence of Italian cuisine. Yet, the history of pizza is much older and rich in cultural layers: from the focaccia of ancient Mediterranean peoples to the street vendors of Naples, to the globalization of the quintessential "Italian dish." In this context, exploring the different types of Italian pizza means embarking on a journey through regions, doughs, methods, and ingredients that speak to local identities and centuries-old traditions.

The Margherita thus becomes just one step in a much broader journey: it's the starting point for discovering how pizza has reinvented itself, adapted, and captured Italy's history in every detail. The goal of this article is precisely to uncover those often-overlooked steps and variations, going "beyond the Margherita" to understand the full range of Italian pizza types and their historical evolution.

The Origins: From Ancient Focaccia to Modern Pizza

The history of pizza (and more specifically, pizza as we know it today) has its roots in a much older world: that of the topped flatbreads of the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Historians find traces of "flatbreads" with oil, herbs, and cheese as early as classical times.

The term Team Building It appears for the first time in Latin documents from the year 997 AD in the city of Gaeta, in Lazio: in a notarial deed, "twelve pizzas" were mentioned as payment in kind.
But it was in the 18th and 19th centuries that the city of Naples, in the Campania region, became the hub of modern pizza. In this densely populated urban area, with large concentrations of working-class and merchant populations, the need for a quick, affordable, and tasty food emerged: a topped focaccia, sold on the street.

With the arrival of the tomato, introduced to Europe after the explorations of America, Neapolitan focaccia was transformed: the tomato, initially considered inedible or even dangerous, became a central ingredient alongside cheese and oil.

According to tradition, the iconic masterpiece of classic pizza, the Margherita, dates back to 1889 when pizza chef Raffaele Esposito of Pizzeria Brandi prepared a pizza with tomato, mozzarella, and basil for the visit of Queen Margherita of Savoy, representing the colors of the Italian flag with the ingredients.
However, it should be noted that scholars dispute the uniqueness of this episode: similar variations had already been prepared in Naples decades earlier, and the gesture of "inventing" the Margherita could be more symbolic than real.

This long journey, from the simple focaccia to the iconic pizza, has led us today to not just one "Italian pizza," but a whole galaxy of local variations and reinterpretations: this is why, looking at the types of Italian pizza, we realize that the Margherita is only the beginning.

Beyond the Margherita: Exploring the Types of Italian Pizza

When we consider the vast variety of Italian pizzas, we realize that Margherita is just the tip of the iceberg. Each region, and often each city, has developed its own variant, with dough, cooking methods, and ingredients that reflect climate, agriculture, and social traditions.

Some significant examples

• La Roman PizzaCharacterized by a thin, crispy base and a lower crust than the Neapolitan version. It's a "drier" pizza, perfect for those who prefer a crispy texture.
• Pizza al Tegamino (or “al padellino”): typical of Piedmont/Turin, cooked in a pan or skillet, with a higher and softer dough on the inside and a crispy base.
• Sicilian Sfincione: a thick-crust pizza-focaccia with typical island toppings (anchovies, onion, breadcrumbs), which has become a symbol of popular Sicilian cuisine.

Why this variety?

The reason lies in the "history of pizza," seen as a local rather than a national phenomenon: farming or seaside communities used the available ingredients, the skill of the ovens (wood, coal, pans), and the way they were consumed (sit-down, take-out, on the go). The result: a gastronomic map, the types of Italian pizza, that coincides with Italy itself.

How to recognize and enhance them

If in your article you want to suggest the reader to go "beyond the Margherita", you can recommend:

• pay attention to the dough and the base: high and soft vs low and crunchy;
• ask what local ingredients are used: for example sausage, onion, speck, anchovies;
• explore the cooking method: wood, pan, frying pan.
  This way, the richness of the different types of Italian pizza is enhanced without reducing it to just a “Margherita variant”.

Myths, curiosities, and the future of pizza

Throughout the long history of pizza, there is no shortage of myths, legends, and curiosities that contribute to its global appeal.

Some curiosities and legends

• The famous episode of the Pizza Margherita “invented” in 1889 for the Margherita di Savoia It is often cited by pizza chef Raffaele Esposito, although scholars warn that the truth is less straightforward and pizza with the same ingredients probably already existed previously.
• The term “pizza” appears for the first time in Latin documents from 997 AD in Gaeta, as a form of dough/compensation, not yet as we understand it today.
• The “street food” form of consumption (such as fried pizza or pizza al taglio) reflects the social-popular dimension of pizza: simple, quick, accessible food.

To the future

The future of pizza, as a food and symbol, is intertwined with history but looks forward.

• Leavening and kneading techniques are becoming increasingly refined: alternative flours, sourdough starter, long times.
• Gourmet and “fusion” variations are multiplying, but it’s important to remember that the added value comes from knowledge of the history of pizza and authentic Italian pizza types.
• The intangible heritage of Neapolitan pizza, recognized by UNESCO, highlights the cultural, and not just gastronomic, dimension of the food.