In 1830, Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba was opened in Naples. Most historians consider this to be the world's first pizzeria. It became a meeting place for artists, students or others with little money so, in most cases, the pizza was simple.

Then, in 1889, modern pizza was born when pizzamaker Raffaele Esposito created the “Pizza Margherita” for the Queen consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy. It contained only tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil to represent the colors of the Italian flag.

The pizza we know today emerged in 18th-century Naples. The city was experiencing a surge of peasants from the countryside, and its economy couldn't keep up with all the mouths to feed. The poverty-stricken folks, known as the lazzaroni, needed something cheap and easy to eat.

An often recounted story holds that on June 11, 1889, to honour the queen consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, the Neapolitan pizza maker Raffaele Esposito created the "Pizza Margherita", a pizza garnished with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, to represent the national colours of Italy as on the Flag of Italy.