That’s No Pizza: A Wall Painting Found in Pompeii Doesn’t Depict Italy’s Iconic Dish

This handout photo taken and released on 25 June by Parco Archeologico di Pompei (Archaeological Park of Pompeii), shows a 2,000-year-old Pompeian painting, a still life, found by the new Regio IX excavations, depicted on the wall of an ancient Pompeian house that could be a distant ancestor of modern pizza. (Handout / Parco Archeologico di Pompei press office / AFP)
This handout photo taken and released on 25 June by Parco Archeologico di Pompei (Archaeological Park of Pompeii), shows a 2,000-year-old Pompeian painting, a still life, found by the new Regio IX excavations, depicted on the wall of an ancient Pompeian house that could be a distant ancestor of modern pizza. (Handout / Parco Archeologico di Pompei press office / AFP)
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That’s No Pizza: A Wall Painting Found in Pompeii Doesn’t Depict Italy’s Iconic Dish

This handout photo taken and released on 25 June by Parco Archeologico di Pompei (Archaeological Park of Pompeii), shows a 2,000-year-old Pompeian painting, a still life, found by the new Regio IX excavations, depicted on the wall of an ancient Pompeian house that could be a distant ancestor of modern pizza. (Handout / Parco Archeologico di Pompei press office / AFP)
This handout photo taken and released on 25 June by Parco Archeologico di Pompei (Archaeological Park of Pompeii), shows a 2,000-year-old Pompeian painting, a still life, found by the new Regio IX excavations, depicted on the wall of an ancient Pompeian house that could be a distant ancestor of modern pizza. (Handout / Parco Archeologico di Pompei press office / AFP)

A still-life fresco discovered recently in the Pompeii archaeological site looks like a pizza, but it's not, experts at the archaeological site said Tuesday.

They noted that key ingredients needed to make Italy's iconic dish — tomatoes and mozzarella — were not available when the fresco was painted some 2,000 years ago.

Tomatoes were only introduced to Europe from the Americas a few centuries ago, and some histories have it that the discovery of mozzarella led directly to the invention of pizza in nearby Naples in the 1700s.

The image is instead believed to be a focaccia covered with fruit, including pomegranate and possibly dates, finished with spices or a type of pesto, experts said. In the fresco, it is served on a silver plate and a wine chalice stands next to it.

The contrast of the frugal meal served in a luxurious setting, denoted by the silver tray, is not unlike modern-day pizza, “born as a poor-man’s dish in southern Italy, which has won over the world and is served even in starred restaurants," said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii archaeological site.

The ancient Roman city of Pompeii was destroyed in the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The sudden and deadly event left much of the structure intact, embalmed in volcanic ash, and the site is now a major archaeological project and tourist attraction.

The Coldiretti ag lobby immediately seized on the discovery of the fresco to promote pizza — invented as a quick meal for the working poor — as a national treasure. Today, pizza represents one-third of the food budget of foreign visitors and generates total annual revenues of 15 billion euros ($16.4 billion) in Italy.

The art of the Neapolitan pizzamaker was put on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list in 2017, recognized for its four phases of dough preparation and for being baked exclusively in a wood oven at 485 degrees Celsius (905 degrees Fahrenheit).



AlUla Utilizes SHIMM System to Boost Astronomical Research and Tourism

This effort forms part of the commission’s commitment to supporting future development of astronomical infrastructure in AlUla. - SPA
This effort forms part of the commission’s commitment to supporting future development of astronomical infrastructure in AlUla. - SPA
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AlUla Utilizes SHIMM System to Boost Astronomical Research and Tourism

This effort forms part of the commission’s commitment to supporting future development of astronomical infrastructure in AlUla. - SPA
This effort forms part of the commission’s commitment to supporting future development of astronomical infrastructure in AlUla. - SPA

The Royal Commission for AlUla has launched the astronomical monitoring system SHIMM at AlUla Manara site near Gharameel nature reserve, aiming to assess the site’s readiness for hosting advanced astronomical activities and research, while strengthening AlUla’s position as a premier destination for astronomical tourism and scientific discovery, SPA reported.

The version of SHIMM deployed in AlUla is among the most advanced globally, designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, from sandstorms to extreme temperature fluctuations. Enhanced with AI technologies, it provides automated, accurate, and continuous monitoring, including early detection and alerts for any factors that may impact the precision and quality of astronomical observations.

The system will operate for 12 months, during which it will collect and analyze data on weather variations and atmospheric measurements affecting the clarity of astronomical images.

This effort forms part of the commission’s commitment to supporting future development of astronomical infrastructure in AlUla.