SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – In the heart of Santo Domingo's Malecón, overlooking the sea and filled with the aroma of basil and mozzarella, a tradition was born in 1954 that would mark the country's culinary history: El Vesuvio, the Dominican Republic's first formal pizzeria.
Founded by Annibale Bonarelli Izzo and his wife Inmacolata Pascale, Neapolitan immigrants who arrived in the country after World War II, El Vesuvio was much more than a restaurant. It was the place where many Dominicans tasted a true Italian pizza for the first time, cooked in a wood-fired oven, with ingredients brought directly from Europe or handcrafted in their kitchen.
The Margherita was a favorite among purists: fresh tomato, mozzarella, and basil leaves. But others became true icons of the menu: the Capricciosa, with mushrooms and artichokes, and the hearty Vesuvio Especial, with pepperoni, bell peppers, and red onion, an exclusive house recipe. Each one was served with the crispy thinness and slightly puffed edge that only dough made with patience and technique can provide.
The original restaurant, facing the sea, was decorated with details that evoked Italy, such as a marble fountain at the entrance, and the memorable ceramic mural that covered an entire wall of the main dining room. Handmade and brought from Naples, it depicted a scene of the gulf with Vesuvius in the background, sailboats, and houses perched on the cliffs. It wasn't uncommon to see diners gazing at it while waiting for their pizza or lasagna, as if it whispered memories of a faraway land, even if they had never visited it.
Today, thanks to the owners' sensitivity, this ceramic piece is displayed in its own dedicated room at the Centro León in Santiago.
The atmosphere was unique: intimate and refined. From inside, one could see the Caribbean Sea, and as evening fell, the soft lighting and breeze created a romantic setting. It was common to see artists, writers, businesspeople, and entire families gathered under the green and white umbrellas that became part of the capital's landscape.
Over time, Annibale's children, including Vincenzo (Enzo) Bonarelli, continued the legacy. New branches opened, such as Vesuvio Tiradentes, "El Vesuvito," led by his brother Gaetano, and ventures like Pizzarelli, founded by another son, Peppino Bonarelli, thus establishing a culinary dynasty.
The original Vesuvio closed permanently in the early 2000s, a victim of urban development, hotel expansion, and the proliferation of multinational chains. Today, only a few walls and rubble remain. Amid the noise of the mechanical shovels and the destruction, the murmur of those family Sundays seeps through, the sunsets illuminated by the dying sun and the nights of furtive loves and political or business negotiations.
Its memory lingers: in the conversations of those who still mentally savor that first pizza shared by the sea; in family albums filled with birthday photos under its striped awnings; and in every artisanal pizza prepared with love.
Vesuvio wasn't just a pizzeria. It was the place where many beginnings took place.
