13/01/2026
In the late 1800s, pizza was not a royal dish.
It was food for workers. For sailors. For the people of Naples. 🇮🇹
In the 1880s, pizza was simple, cheap, and eaten mainly by the working and middle classes. It was sold in the streets, baked quickly, and meant to fill hungry stomachs not to impress kings.
Then, in 1889, something unexpected happened.
King Umberto I of Italy and his wife Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples. Curious to taste the city’s local specialty, they asked to try what the people were really eating.
The task was given to a Neapolitan pizzaiolo, Raffaele Esposito.
He prepared three different pizzas:
• One with garlic (similar to today’s Marinara)
• One with anchovies
• And a third one with tomato, mozzarella, and basil
The first two were politely received.
But the third one… stood out.
Simple. Balanced. Familiar.
And unintentionally colored like the Italian flag.
Queen Margherita loved it.
What began as humble street food—never meant for royalty—suddenly crossed social classes. A workers’ dish was tasted by a queen. And from that moment on, the Pizza Margherita was born.
Not as a luxury.
But as a symbol of Italy’s people, culture, and identity.
From the streets of Naples to the entire world. 🍕❤️
