The Birth of an Icon
There is a story that smells of sugar and sea, of convents overlooking the Coast and of illuminated shops in the heart of Naples.
In the 19th century, the pastry chef Pasquale Pintauro, according to tradition, after learning from his aunt, the abbess of the convent of Santa Rosa, the secret of that rich and fragrant sweet, decided to bring it to the city. He opened his shop on Via Toledo and transformed a convent recipe into a popular symbol: the Neapolitan sfogliatella.
Thus, the sfogliatella as we know it today was born.
And a name was born destined to become legend.
Since then, Pintauro has not just been a pastry shop.
It has become a reference, an appointment, a rite.
“There’s a crowd at Pintauro!”
“Pintauro is buzzing.”
Phrases that have entered everyday language, as if that bakery were part of the very character of the city.
Generations have passed in front of those windows: the “struscio” of Holy Thursday, hands dusted with powdered sugar, a warm sfogliatella shared along Via Toledo, a rustic pastry, a cherry cookie, the festive pastiera.
Guarding this legacy, over time, have been women and men who have lived the place like a home. Mrs. Elvira Maria Di Marco, among the last owners, remembered for her attention to the good name and her clientele. And then, Peppe Tomei, who from 1986 to 2024 was much more than a face behind that counter: he was its heart, the daily smile, the presence that became familiar.