On Thursday, Italian public health and hygiene officials shut down the Naples pizzeria that invented the Margherita pizza in order to commemorate a visit by the then Queen Margherita of Savoy in 1889.
The Antica Pizzeria Brandi has failed to meet hygiene recommendations made after an inspection in August, the the carabinieri of the Antisophistications Unit said in conjunction with the local ASL health agency.
During that inspection, the pizzeria was found wanting in terms of respecting health and hygiene standards, they said.
On their social media channels, the Brandi pizzeria announced that it would be closed today and tomorrow “for extraordinary maintenance.”
The pizzeria is located in Sant Anna di Palazzo, in Chiaia, an upscale neighbourhood known for its shopping and dining establishments. Inside, a plaque commemorating 100 years since the creation of the first Margherita pizza from 1989 is affixed to the wall.
The establishment is listed in travel guides across the globe, dually boasting the title of ‘oldest pizzeria in the world’, having opened its doors in 1760.
