Italy’s best pizzas just minutes from many US bases, annual top-100 ranking shows

VICENZA, Italy — U.S. troops in Italy don’t have to travel far for world-class pizza, with 30 of the country’s best pizzerias within easy driving distance of military bases in Naples and Vicenza, according to a new annual pizzeria ranking.

Service members at Naval Support Activity Naples have the most plentiful options, with five of the top 10 pizzerias ranked in the 2026 edition of an annual guide for Italy located within about a 30-minute drive.

The publication is put out by 50 Top Pizza, which also produces annual guides for the best pizzerias in Asia, the United States, Europe and worldwide.

Despite its name, the Italy guide ranks the best 100 pizzerias in the country and provides an unranked listing of about 370 other spots deemed merely “excellent.”

The results were announced this month in Milan, where Confine took the top slot, up from second place in 2025.

Naples and the Campania region, considered the birthplace of the humble cheese-and-tomato-topped pie, led the list with the most establishments represented in the Italy rankings this year.

Nearly two dozen ranked pizzerias in the Campania region are within an hour of the naval base in Naples. Meanwhile, U.S. Army posts in Vicenza and Pisa each have about a half-dozen ranked pizzerias within a similar distance.

Service members at Naval Air Station Sigonella have one option from the rankings within a 30-minute trek, while those at Aviano Air Base have the farthest drive to the nearest ranked pizzeria. Alano di Piave, home to No 52 Pizzeria Da Ezio, is about 90 minutes away.

Many of the top-ranked pizzerias offer reservations, though not all do. Wait times and customer flow are factored into the rankings, which are based on a survey of 150 inspectors with no business ties to the establishments.

After the survey, inspectors anonymously visit and evaluate each pizzeria on seven factors, including the pizza, service, cleanliness, ambience, wait times and drink selection. Preference is given to restaurants that offer local and regional beers and wines.

Here’s how the results break down near each U.S. military community:

Naples

The world’s best pizzeria last year and tied for No. 2 in Italy this year, I Masanielli — Francesco Martucci in Caserta, is one of the closest on the list to the Navy base in Naples. It fell slightly from the top slot it held five years running.

Third-ranked Palazzo Petrucci Pizzeria was noted for the panoramic terrace at its main restaurant on Piazza San Domenico Maggiore. That spot and its second location on Via Posillipo are both within about 40 minutes of base.

50 Kalo, which has two locations within about 40 minutes of base, frequently makes the annual list and landed in the fifth slot this year.

Patrons should note that its location in Piazza Sannazaro does not take reservations, while the one near the U.S. Consulate on Piazza della Repubblica is reservation-only.

Some of the other closest options include No. 8 Cambia-Menti, No. 9 Sasa Martucci, and No. 15 La Bolla, all about 25 minutes from base in Caserta.

Vicenza

Though the Veneto region was not nearly as well represented on the list as others, U.S. personnel in Vicenza can take heart that the guide’s fourth-best pizzeria, I Tigli, is about half an hour east in San Bonifacio, near Verona.

As with many of the ranked sites, diners shouldn’t expect the typical Margherita. Served in four or eight slices, the “high gastronomy” pizza at I Tigli features toppings like oven-roasted pigeon, glazed sweetbreads, beef tartare and ceviche.

A “Carminuccio” pizza featuring pancetta, Parmigiano Reggiano, basil and burrata cheese is served up July 13, 2026, at the Vicenza pizzeria Acqua e Farina – Rosario Giannattasio, which was named one of the top 100 pizzerias in Italy in July 2026 and earned kudos for its dough and extensive wine list. (Chad Garland/Stars and Stripes)

The guide spotlights a beef burger served on a sesame focaccia and topped with bacon, spinach and Monte Veronese cheese, as well as the dessert menu.

Six more of the ranked pizzerias are within about 45 minutes of the Vicenza bases, including the city’s own Acqua & Farina — Rosario Giannattasio, which eked into the No. 100 spot and earned kudos for its dough, toppings and extensive wine list.

A bit farther afield are Gigi Pipa in Este, ranked 29th; Premiata Fabbrica Pizza in Bassano del Grappa, at No. 54; Pedrocchino in Campodoro, in the 77th spot; CUORE — Luca Brancati in Marano Vicentino, at 87; and Zio Mo’ in Legnago, which holds down the 99th spot.

Camp Darby

The relatively small number of troops at the U.S. logistics hub near Pisa have a fair number of highly ranked pizza places in the vicinity, including 22nd-ranked Apogeo in Pietrasanta, about 30 minutes away.

La Fenice in Pistoia and Officine del Cibo in Sarzana, the top pizzerias in Tuscany and Liguria, respectively, are both within an hour of the base.

Nearly a dozen unranked pizzerias that were deemed excellent are also within an hour’s drive.

Aviano and Sigonella

At No. 82 on the list, Sazi e Sani in Catania is about 20 minutes from the naval base in Sigonella. The only ranked pizzeria near the base, it was recognized for its standout wine selection.

About eight of the 26 other pizzerias on Sicily listed as excellent in the guide are within an hour or so of the air station, including Corte dei Medici and L’Evoluzione, both in Catania, and Cortile Siciliano in Tremestieri Etneo.

A sign outside Antica Pizzeria Da Michele in Catania, Italy, near Naval Air Station Sigonella, marks the chain’s 50 Top Pizza award, March 12, 2026. Thirty of Italy’s best pizzerias are within easy driving distance of U.S. military bases in Naples and Vicenza, according to the 2026 edition of the 50 Top Pizza guide. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes)

For Aviano personnel, any of the roughly half-dozen places that made the unranked list are at least an hour away.

The complete 2026 guide, including the additional “excellent” pizzerias, is available at 50toppizza.it