The pizza maker. Illustration by F. Palizzi. 1858 • WIKIMEDIA COMMONS In 1889, Humbert I st , King of Italy, and his wife, Margaret of Savoy, make an official visit to Naples. As they walk through the streets of the city center, they are intrigued by the smell that emanates from certain bakeries. As the protocol does not allow them to stop to taste these dishes which smell so good, the heads of the kitchens of the House of Savoy decide to satisfy the curiosity of the sovereigns by inviting Raffaele Esposito, the cook of the pizzeria "Pietro e Basta così", in the kitchens of the Royal Palace of Capodimonte where the couple are staying. Esposito offers a tasting of three pizzas:the mastunicola (or "Maestro Nicola which can be translated as "Uncle Nicolas"), consisting of a white pastry covered with lard, sheep's cheese, basil and pepper; another with tomatoes and anchovies; and finally a pizza with tomato, mozzarella and basil. The following day, the pizza maker receives a letter of thanks from the Head of Table Services of the Royal Household saying:"Dear Sir Raffaele Esposito, I can confirm that the three types of pizza you prepared for Her Majesty the Queen were very appreciated. » A flag to eat The account also relates that, although she enjoyed the three pizzas, the sovereign showed a preference for the third, and that to thank her and pay homage to her, the Neapolitan cook named this dish "pizza Margherita". This name may also come from the way the Neapolitan presented the pizza, which was originally served with thin slices of mozzarella arranged in a circle, like the petals of a daisy. But this pizza also has political significance, since the ingredients in this simple dish combine the colors of the Italian flag:red (tomato), white (mozzarella), and green (basil). As part of a unified Italy, pizza, which historically was a dish reserved for the poorest Neapolitans, spread throughout the country, becoming the national dish par excellence.> Indeed, the visit of Humbert I er and from Margaret to Naples takes place barely 19 years after the annexation of the city of Rome to the Kingdom of Italy in 1870, an episode which put an end to the process of unification of the country launched a few decades earlier. Once Italy was founded, it was necessary to create an Italian feeling of unity through the construction of symbols, which notably passed through gastronomy. Thus, within the framework of a unified Italy, the pizza which, historically, was a dish reserved for the poorest Neapolitans, spread throughout the country, until it became the national dish par excellence. The role attributed to Queen Marguerite in the popularization of pizza is not accidental. The Queen has long been committed to promoting "made in Italy ". To thwart the French hegemony in the field of fashion and gastronomy, and to reaffirm the style of the new nation, she wears clothes and jewelry created by Italian designers and consumes local products. She herself cultivates an image of closeness to the people. It is said that, during her visit to Naples in 1889, the sovereign tasted a chicken leg with her hands, like an ordinary woman; ever since, when someone breaks etiquette, they say, "Even Queen Margaret eats the chicken with her fingers." The first queen of Italy plays a fundamental role in the communication of the new state, even at the expense of protocol. And, in this context, a succulent dish with the colors of Italy can only be a success. Preconceived ideas about tomatoes It should also be noted that the tomato is the ingredient that made the difference and defines pizza as we know it today. While white focaccia has existed since time immemorial, the use of the fruit from America is much more recent, since its distribution has been hampered by various prejudices:those who associate it with mandrake (a poisonous plant from the nightshade family); others, to the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden; still others, an aphrodisiac inducing sin. And the belief that it can drive anyone crazy or kill it is widespread. In southern Italy, where it was used in the 18 th century as an ornamental plant in the gardens of aristocrats and as decoration for elaborate centerpieces, the adoption of the tomato came from the popular classes who, driven by hunger, put aside their mistrust. However, in 1889, "white" pizzas (i.e. without tomato base) were still very popular, as evidenced by the various cookbooks published at the time. Today, if the "red" version has supplanted the original, its success is probably largely due to the benevolent agency of Queen Marguerite. The dish of the poor Neapolitans Before triumphing throughout Italy, pizza was the food of the working classes in Naples. The novelist Matilde Serao explains in The Belly of Naples (1884) that “the pizza maker, at night, makes a large number of round pizzas with a heavy dough […], covered with almost raw tomatoes, oregano, garlic and bell pepper. These pizzas in several parts are sold for a soldo by boys wandering the streets all day. [They] freeze in the cold, turn yellow in the sun and are eaten by flies. The meal was completed with cabbage and anchovy fritters.
