Abstract
A rebrand project for Concettina ai Tre Santi, one of the oldest and most famous pizzerias in Naples.

The new identity created for Concettina Ai Tre Santi takes up the methodological approach typical of Pop Art, capable of selecting specific elements of popular culture elevating them to symbols with a strong visual impact. Concettina Ai Tre Santi is an authority in the field of pizza in Naples, is located in one of the city’s oldest districts and has always supported the artisan realities of the area.

For this reason, the design concept “Newpolitan Pop Icons” captures the many details of a daily Naples, elevating them to pop icons, becoming a visual expression of the city. From the majolica decorations to the symbols of the playing cards, up to the display typography inspired by the last sign painter of the city.

About Concettina:
Established in 1951, Concettina ai Tre Santi is an activity that has grown and developed over the decades. The name derives from the ancient votive shrine that is next to the entrance and is dedicated to three saints – San Vincenzo Ferreri, patron saint of district Sanità, Sant’Alfonso Maria de ‘Liguori, protector of the walls of the room, and Sant’Anna the saint to whom Sant’Alfonso was devoted, while Concettina was the wife of the shoemaker Antonio Oliva. It was she who, like so many women in the popular areas of Naples, to help the family economy, began, in 1951, to make pizzas on credit, called “oggi a otto” (or that “you consume today and pay in eight days” ) out from its small house (basso), with a banquet to roll out and stuff the dough, and a pot full of steaming oil for frying.

Twenty years later, in the 1970s, work began to increase and a room where a counter for making classic round pizzas, a wood-burning oven and a few tables were added, although it remains a sales point almost exclusively for take-away. The pizza is the traditional Neapolitan one, such as Margherita, Marinara and fried pizzas with cracklings and ricotta. The part with the table service, on the other hand, has gradually expanded over time and a recent renovation has given it its current appearance (although the oven has always been in the same position since the early 1950s). In the 90s Antonio, Ciro’s father, joined his grandfather who he took over completely in 2000, becoming the pizza chef himself.

Today, after more than 70 years, Concettina is a Neapolitan pizza institution, a must see for anyone who wants to try an experience that at the same time combines the traditional side of pizza, thanks to the respect of the produce, doughs and leavening, and the gastronomic approach in the realization of the dishes and in the tasting process. A great deal of attention in the service, which winks at that of haute cuisine, without however intimidating or creating unnecessary distance with the guest. Extreme care of the wine list and the cellar, as well as the training of the restaurant staff. Tourists, artists, writers, citizens and onlookers pass by, priests in cassocks indulging in a little gluttony sit at Concettina’s tables, as well as entrepreneurs, professionals, students or show business personalities. A true ecumenical table, which attracts and enchants everyone, thanks also to the exuberant character of Ciro and his volcanic enthusiasm.

About the District:
Sanità is a district of the city of Naples, one of the most populous areas of the city, full of outdoor markets, small food shops, bakeries, bars, trattorias and pizzerias, which follow one another in the bustling alleys close to piazza Cavour on the slopes of Capodimonte hill. Sanità means “health” and the name derives from the fact that in ancient times the area was surrounded by countryside and therefore by “good air”. Antonio De Curtis, known as Totò, was born here and lived up to the age of 24. Here once stood the residences of the Neapolitan nobles, testified by the magnificence of palaces such as the Baroque one by Spagnuolo, built in 1738 to a design by the architect Ferdinando Sanfelice.

A district that is the extreme emblem of contrasts and contradictions found in the DNA of the city of Naples. The architectural wonders – including the Basilica of Santa Maria – alternate with decadent “bassi” (small houses on street level). Here are at least two of the most significant tourist destinations in Naples: the Fontanelle Cemetery and the underground city of the Catacombs of San Gennaro and San Gaudioso. Sanità is a difficult district, sometimes hostile, in which it is often difficult to grow up, but which in any case gets under your skin, enchants you with its voices and sincerity. Ciro Oliva, the third generation of Neapolitan pizza chefs, was born in this district, and from Sanità the last Oliva has extrapolated all the beauty and truth that this place offers. The constant commitment of the Oliva family to the area, where Pizzeria Concettina ai Tre Santi has existed for 70 years, is marked by unconditional love for Rione Sanità.