Pizza Hub, a journey inspired by Franco Pepe's pizza

The pizza that inspired a journey

The genius, madness and insight of Franco Pepe have transformed a dream into a journey of discovery through unknown lands. A journey inspired by the scents, colours and essences of the territory, which are represented in his pizza and express the authenticity of an extraordinary human landscape. It was Franco’s dream to tell the story of his land: “It has always been my dream to make local pizza because from a very early age I saw the narrative power of that circle of dough in its infinite combinations.” His pizza represents a very human dimension where tradition and the creativity of the pizza maker come together: farmers, breeders and producers become poets and storytellers. For the first time, a pizza will take us on an incredible journey through hills, villages, vineyards and olive groves. Each stop will introduce artisans who grow and transform the raw materials that symbolise a generous land rich in values: the silent streets of Caiazzo lead on to the valleys and ridges of…

The Franco Pepe revolution

Sleepy Caiazzo, a creature of habit, folded in on itself like bakers of times gone by, is rudely awoken on 14 October 2012. Pepe in Grani is out of this world, it is an earthquake that shakes the world of pizza and its epicentre is in Vicolo San Giovanni Battista. The unthinkable happens and Caiazzo soon becomes the world’s pizza capital. On 2 June 2019, Franco Pepe is awarded a Cavaliere al merito della Repubblica italiana (Order of Merit on behalf of the Republic of Italy) by President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella. Journalists, actors, politicians, poets and porn stars, pizza makers and chefs, writers, singers and football players line up down the alley to try his pizza. Franco’s revolution is a constantly evolving adventure that has already seen multiple milestones, fruit of his visionary mind. Welcome to the very first pizzeria and kitchen that solely works with pizza ingredients. Flavour artisan and artist, Franco worked with Michelina Petrazzuoli, a…

A journey through the senses

The roads along this journey between Matese and Volturno overlook land- scapes that inspire emotions, as they penetrate into the intrigue of familiar stories, tales of industrious and brilliant hands. As the road climbs to Villa Santa Croce, the view opens onto the vast hori- zon over Volturno Valley, Monte Taburno, the hills of Caiazzo and the Monti Trebulani. Steep ascents and descents surrounded by greenery cross the splendid territory of Castel di Sasso, where the scent of Conciato Romano cheese tantalises the nose, before landing in Pontelatone where historic vineyards make for an intimate and poetic setting. The pizza path turns white in Alvignano, land of the legendary mozzarellas, before unwinding over the plains of Alife, the fortified city with imposing Roman walls that embrace the city for approximately 2 kilometres. Thousand-year-old stones, not to mention delicious onions and a dazzling beer. A lovely route to Pietravairano, a village perched on the mountainside a…

Matese Planet

Pastures, woods, ridges, lakes, caves and canyons make up a wild and unspoiled area, ideal for fans of hiking and biking. It is a Regional Park that extends for 33,000 hectares and covers 20 Campania municipalities between Molise and Campania. The oregano (Origanum vulgare) that flavours Franco Pepe pizzas grows wild on the Matese mountain chain, which is known for its calcareous soils and rocky slopes, often in correspondence with mountain roads. The flowering branches, white or lilac, are collected in the summer and then dried and stored in cool, dark places. A journey of discovery in the Matese area offers an authentic experience in a spectacular and unspoiled environment with pure water sources, monumental beech woods and naturalistic sites of world interest such as the Bosco degli Zappini in Fontegreca. It was among the Matese mountains, near Pietraroja, that the best-preserved dinosaur fossil in the world was found: the Scipionyx Samniticus, more simply known as “Ciro”. The…