UNESCO said Thursday that the art of the Neapolitan 'Pizzaiuolo' (pizza maker) has been put on its prestigious Intangible Cultural Heritage list. "The practice originates in Naples, where around 3,000 Pizzaiuoli now live and perform, and plays a key role in fostering social gatherings and intergenerational exchange," UNESCO said in a statement after a committee added 12 new elements to the intangible list during a meeting in Jeju, South Korea. "Knowledge and skills related to the element are primarily transmitted in the 'bottega' of the Pizzaiuolo, where young apprentices can observe their master at work".
The news was met with delight in Italy.
"The art of the Neapolitan Pizzaiuolo is UNESCO Cultural Heritage," said Agriculture Minister Maurizio Martina via Twitter.
"Victory! Italy's food-and-wine identity is increasingly protected around the world". Farmers' association Coldiretti said that many pizzaiuoli were showing off their acrobatic pizza spinning and tossing in central Naples in celebration at the news.
"It is a just, deserved recognition of an old art, a symbol of Naples and Italy around the world," said Domenico Raimondo, the president of the consortium of the protection of quality-assured DOP Campania buffalo mozzarella (Consorzio di Tutela della mozzarella di bufala Campana DOP), a vital ingredient in Neapolitan Margherita pizza. "A new story starts today, one that is yet to be written, which we will be part of even more proudly".
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