Naples is in full preparation for Italy's biggest street party at the Napoli Pizza Village. The mega-event involves fifty of Naples celebrated pizzerias spread all along the bay on the panoramic Lungomare Caracciolo. The Pizza Village was launched in 2011, with 20 pizzerias, during which a total 55,000 pizzas were consumed by visitors.
The event, organized by the Neapolitan Pizza-chefs Association (APN), has proved so successful that it has doubled in size in the five years since it began. This year's edition will feature 50 pizzerias and is expected to attract over 500,000 visitors with total seating for 24,500 distributed over 4/5 turns each day.
An important part of the event is the international pizza-making contest for the Caputo Cup, offered by the historic flour mills Molino Caputo. Judges have been touring the world over the past year to choose the finalists, who will compete in the finals during Napoli Pizza Village. Pizza chefs from such far-flung destinations as Japan, USA, Israel, Russia, Australia, Dubai and Taiwan will demonstrate their skills before the public, showing the universal appeal of Naples' most famous gastronomic product.
The event will be presented to USA tour operators and travel agents in New York on the 4th June 2015 in collaboration with Eataly and the Rossopomodoro chain, along with the Meridiana airline company, which will be operating direct flights from the States to Naples. Subsequently, it will be promoted at EXPO MILAN in the Italian pavilion at the end of July.
The Napoli Pizza Village hopes to crown its success with inclusion in the UNESCO Immaterial Cultural Heritage List.
Napoli Pizza Village 2015 runs between the 1st -6th September 2015 from 6 pm-midnight. Entrance is free.To avoid queuing, coupons for a pizza (covering also soft drink, dessert or icecream and coffee) can be purchsed online.
M. Stenhouse
Info: Tel. +39.080.7614223 www.pizzavillage.it