See you on Place des Cardeurs.
13 Place des Cardeurs, 13100 Aix-en-Provence
Lunch : 11h30 — 14h30
Dinner : 18h00 — 23h00
From its humble Naples origins to the famous Margherita, discover the history of Neapolitan pizza: a tradition of wood-fired ovens and long-fermented dough that we keep alive on Place des Cardeurs, in Aix-en-Provence.
Each topic links to a dedicated page on the site to read further and come taste our Neapolitan pizza in Aix-en-Provence.
Neapolitan pizza was born in Naples, in the alleys of a city where the working classes looked for a meal that was simple, fast and affordable. Over the 18th and 19th centuries, this disc of dough topped with tomato became an iconic street food, sold by the slice and eaten standing up. This deeply working-class history still explains the spirit of Neapolitan pizza today: few ingredients, but the right produce, and a gesture repeated until it is perfect.
Understanding this history means grasping why Neapolitan pizza rests on fundamentals we respect in Aix-en-Provence: a patiently worked dough, quality tomato, melting mozzarella and a fierce bake. Nothing superfluous: the Neapolitan is above all a matter of mastery and respect for the product, not piling on toppings.
No history of Neapolitan pizza would be complete without the Margherita. According to the most famous legend, it was created in Naples in 1889 by the pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito in honour of Queen Margherita of Savoy, with its three colours echoing the Italian flag: the red of the tomato, the white of the mozzarella and the green of the basil. Beyond the tale, the Margherita has become the symbol of a simple, balanced pizza, a benchmark for every good pizzaiolo. It is this heritage that we carry on in our own version of the Margherita.
If Neapolitan pizza stands out, it is first of all thanks to two gestures inherited from Naples: the fermentation of the dough and the wood-fired baking. In our trattoria, the dough ferments for 48 hours at 70% hydration before spending a few seconds in a wood-fired oven heated to 450°. This intense heat puffs up the crust, lightly marks the dough and gives it that characteristic softness. Long fermentation, meanwhile, makes the pizza easier to digest and reveals the aromas of the flour. These are the principles, handed down for generations in Naples, that we apply with no shortcuts.
Di Micheli is a family trattoria open since September 2021, run by a team of five, at 13 Place des Cardeurs in Aix-en-Provence. Our approach is part of this long Neapolitan history: a tight menu, fresh produce, no frozen dough and entirely homemade work. We serve a contemporary Neapolitan pizza, faithful to the fundamentals while embracing a few variations such as burrata.
Neapolitan pizza is now recognised far beyond Naples, and its history keeps being written in trattorias like ours. To explore all its facets, you can browse the article devoted to Neapolitan pizza on Wikipedia, then come and taste it in the dining room or on the terrace, on Place des Cardeurs.
Whether you are an Italian cuisine enthusiast or simply curious about the history of Neapolitan pizza, we will be delighted to share our take on this classic, right in the heart of the historic centre of Aix-en-Provence. Happy reading, and see you very soon at the table.
After the reading, time to taste: a few pages to go further, from Neapolitan pizza to booking your table.
Neapolitan pizza was born in Naples, Italy, where it developed as a working-class food from the 18th and 19th centuries onwards. This street-food origin still explains its spirit: few ingredients, but quality produce.
According to the best-known legend, the Margherita was created in Naples in 1889 in honour of Queen Margherita of Savoy, with its three colours echoing the Italian flag. It has since become the symbol of Neapolitan pizza.
A Neapolitan pizza is recognised by its long-fermented dough and its quick baking in a very hot wood-fired oven, which forms a puffed, soft crust. At Di Micheli, the dough ferments for 48 hours at 70% hydration before going into the wood-fired oven at 450°.
Long fermentation, inherited from the Neapolitan tradition, makes the pizza lighter and easier to digest while revealing the aromas of the flour. That is why we let our dough ferment for 48 hours before baking.
You can enjoy our Neapolitan pizza at Di Micheli, at 13 Place des Cardeurs in Aix-en-Provence. Our family trattoria, open since September 2021, welcomes you at lunch and dinner, indoors and on the terrace.
After the reading, time to taste: book your table at Di Micheli, on Place des Cardeurs, and discover our wood-fired Neapolitan pizza.
