A Little History of The Pizza
In 1889, as the Queen of Italy, Margherita di Savoia, was visiting the city of Naples, one great culinary curiosity filled her mind. She had heard that everyone in the city, both rich and poor, were addicted to a round, flat bread called Pizza. When she expressed her desire to try this, the royal court ensured that one of the best chefs in Naples, Raffaele Esposito, took care of the preparation of a special pizza for the Queen. The result was the Margherita, a pizza evoking the colours of the Italian flag: green (basil leaves), white (mozzarella) and red (tomato sauce).
From Campania, the phenomenon of pizza-making and appreciation for this southern speciality spread all over Italy. The humble Pizza welcomed new ingredients, new recipes and adapted itself to the taste of Italians from region to region.
Thanks to the massive Italian migration in Australia during the 20th century and consequently, the opening of many pizzerie, pizza did not take long to conquer the taste buds of the Australians.
The 13 pizzerie included in this festival, both in Melbourne and Sydney, have been selected due to their commitment to authenticity and extremely high quality, while following the authentic way of making pizza. Their ingredients are scrupulously sourced from Italian and local producers while their contribution to the understanding of authentic Italian Pizza amongst the wider public is constant and driven by passion.
So many variables influence the process of pizza making: between the oven, the flour, the water, the external temperature and, of course, the Pizzaiolo, who will add his mastery to it.
While the pizzas are different from one pizzeria to another, a following of devoted pizza lovers has been established and it is truly unique. It is now your turn to discover which pizza is your favourite!
Buon appetito!
Matteo Rubbettino
Pizza Festival Director
Sydney Pizza Festival events throughout July: http://pizzafestival.com.au/sydney/events/event/
Staying in Sydney for the 2013 Pizza Festival?
Need accommodation in Sydney CBD?
Metro Hotels offer comfortable and affordable hotel rooms and apartments around Sydney city that will keep you close to major public transport hubs so you can visit the event locations. So whether you're coming from interstate to Sydney or coming from overseas, we've got you covered!
- Metro Apartments on Darling Harbour (close to Wynyard station)
- Metro Hotel Sydney Central (close to Central station)
- Metro Hotel on Pitt (close to Town Hall station)
- Aspire Hotel Sydney Ultimo (close to Central station)
Each hotel or serviced apartment is close to major train stations, buses or ferries. Because all four are situated in the city, there are plenty of taxis available to catch on the street. Our city also offers a free bus service (it's a completely green bus) that loops around the main streets of Sydney. Many major Sydney attractions can be reached by foot from our hotels. Nearby there are also supermarkets, shops, restaurants, convenience stores, ATMs, medical centres and public toilets all within walking distance.
For discount specials on our hotels and apartments, visit this page: http://www.metrohotels.com.au/special
