Pizza Maxima 2026: Franco Pepe Is Once Again Best Pizzeria in Italy

Franco Pepe is once again the number one name in Italian pizza. At the Pizza Maxima 2026 awards evening, held on Tuesday 29 September 2026 at the Spazio Novecento in EUR, Rome, his Pepe in Grani pizzeria in Caiazzo, in the province of Caserta, won the title of Best Pizzeria in Italy, along with Best Pizzeria in Campania. The story was reported by Vesuvio Live.

An Encore That Comes as No Surprise

Pizza Maxima has now reached its fifth edition and has earned itself the nickname of the Oscars of pizza made in Italy: the event, organised by E20-Events Factory and RistorAgency, took place in the monumental Spazio Novecento at EUR, hosted by journalist Barbara Politi, with as many as 45 awards handed out. For Franco Pepe, this is nothing new: once again it was the master pizzaiolo who took gold, with the titles of "Best Pizzeria in Italy 2026" and "Best Pizzeria in Campania 2026". The recognition comes hot on the heels of another international tribute: only recently Franco Pepe's work was also celebrated by the prestigious New York Times.

On the national podium, just behind him, came Rome's SEU Pizza by Pier Daniele Seu, also awarded Best Pizzaiolo of the Year, while third place went to a name that sounds very familiar in Naples: Diego Vitagliano and his eponymous Neapolitan pizzeria, which also won the special award for "Best Pizza Menu". Fourth place went to Francesco Martucci with I Masanielli in Caserta, while among the rising stars Francesco Capece stood out, once again named Best Pizzaiolo Under 35.

Why It Matters for Naples

The overall ranking tells a story that Neapolitans know well: of the top ten pizzerias, five are from Campania, three from Lazio, one from Lombardy and one from Calabria. Caiazzo's win alone doesn't tell the whole story: it's the entire Campanian ecosystem, with metropolitan Naples leading the way, that confirms itself as the driving force of Italian pizza. In the city, the sign can also be seen in smaller but no less significant awards: Gino Sorbillo was also honoured for Pop, winning "Best Format", and among the year's best female pizzaioli is Teresa Iorio of the Neapolitan "A pizz è femmena" ('The pizza is a woman'). For a city that has made pizza a mark of identity recognised even by Unesco, seeing Naples and its province dominate an award judged by around two hundred food journalists is a source of real, concrete satisfaction, no exaggeration needed: the numbers speak for themselves.

It's worth remembering that the verdict comes from a broad jury spread across the whole of Italy, not from a local ranking: 150 pizzerias nominated and voted for by 200 Italian food journalists, a method that makes Pepe's win all the more solid, since it's confirmed by people who watch the industry from every corner of the country.

What Happens Next

For anyone who wants to check the verdict for themselves, Pepe in Grani remains open in Caiazzo, a village in the Caserta hinterland that has become, over the years, a must-visit stop for pizza lovers arriving from all over Italy and beyond. Meanwhile, the full ranking, region by region, is already online and will keep industry insiders talking over the coming weeks, ahead of the sixth edition of the award.