Top of the World
The Antica Pasticceria Carraturo was born near one of the most important gates of the city, "Porta Capuana," built thanks to King Ferrante D'Aragona in 1484 and so named because of its direction facing the city of Capua, and again, because of its location behind Castel Capuano. Thus, totally immersed in an area steeped in history and full of vitality, master pastry chef Carraturo, from 1837, began specializing in the kind of sfogliatella that history would later officially recognize as "Riccia." Offering it to all the "villagers" of the province (who, electing the square facing the historic gate as their meeting place, used to buy with little money the famous "pasticciotto") Carraturo made his fortune. To this day, among the habits of Neapolitans is the "classic" walk to the Mergellina waterfront via the populous Piazza di Porta Capuana, where once again Carraturo's sfogliatella holds sway. Truths, legends, businesses shrouded in history ... certainly among the idiomatic expressions in use among Neapolitans not last in the rankings is the one that reads: "Naples has three things that are beautiful: 'o sole,'o mare e 'a sfugliatella."
