Inventing the Pizzeria A History of Pizza Making in Naples

by Mattozzi, Antonio; Nowak, Zachary; Nowak, Zachary

• ISBN13: 9781472586162
• ISBN10: 1472586166
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2015-10-22
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

Pizza is one of the best-known and widely exported Italian foods and yet relatively little is known about its origins in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Myths such as the naming of pizza margherita after the Italian queen abound, but little serious scholarly attention has been devoted to the topic. Eschewing exaggerated fables, this book draws a detailed portrait of the difficulties experienced by the then marginalized class of pizza makers, rather than the ultimate success of their descendants. It provides a unique exploration of the history of pizza making in Naples, offering an archival-based history of the early story of pizza and the establishment of the pizzeria.

Touching upon issues of politics, economics and sociology, Inventing the Pizzeria contributes not only to the commercial, social and food history of Italy but also provides an urban history of a major European city, told through one of its most famous edible exports.

Originally published in Italian, this English edition is updated with a revised introduction and conclusion, a new preface and additional images and sources.

Author Biography

Antonio Mattozzi is an independent scholar who has collaborated with the history department at the University of Naples 'Federico II', Italy, as well as the Didactic Committee for the Institute of Campania for the Resistance, Italy. He is a former high school literature teacher whose family has made pizza in Naples for over 160 years.

Zachary Nowak (translator and editor) is pursuing his doctorate in American Studies at Harvard University, USA. He is also the Associate Director for the Food Studies Program at the Umbra Institute, in Perugia, Italy.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction by the Editor and Translator
Author's Preface
1. The Origins of Pizza and the Pizzeria
2. Censuses and Statistics: Pizzaioli in Their Social Context
3. Licenses and the Law
4. Inside the Pizzeria and Behind the Counter
5. Uncertainty and Continuity in Hard Times
6. The Distribution of Pizzerias Across the City
7. Historic Pizzerias
8. A Family Affair
Conclusion: Yesterday's Pizza, Today's Pizza
Appendix A, B and C
Index