As a child, he helped his grandmother Teresa prepare pizza ammaccata—a ritual filled with affection that profoundly shaped his life. After earning a degree in engineering, Cristian chose to follow his passion for reviving ancient Cilentan pizza, a mission he’s carried globally for over fifteen years.

In 2022, he opened Ammaccata – La pizzeria cilentana in Casal Velino, turning memory into a living project. Pizza ammaccata has humble origins: a simple dough of sourdough, durum wheat semolina, and soft wheat flour once used to test oven heat before baking bread. Pressed with fingertips—hence the name „ammaccata”—it was a symbol of community.

Cristian recovered both the recipe and its social meaning. Today, he’s the youngest Ambassador of the Mediterranean Diet and has earned PAT recognition for Cilentan pizza.

He also won “The Best Pizza Identity 2024.” A passionate educator and advocate of circular agroecology, he cultivates ancient grains, “quarantino” tomatoes, and a synergic garden around his pizzeria.