In Rome, a super slice pizza arrives: Sancho, the pizzeria from Fiumicino, opens a branch in Prati

by Carlo Mastrangeli

The opening is expected to take place at the beginning of June, with no precise date yet. What is certain is that Sancho will open its first Roman branch at Via Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli 3/A in the heart of the Prati district, one of the most lively gastronomic areas of the city. We spoke about this imminent inauguration with Emiliano Di Lelio, son of the tireless Franco, who, together with his brother Andrea and cousin Stefano, will lead this Roman adventure. "My brother and I have been discussing this for at least ten years. Opening a pizzeria in Rome was among our plans, but we didn't let ourselves be driven by haste and waited for the right moment. We had to choose the area well and put together the team." In October 2023, the Di Lelio brothers found the location, and then the work began, involving cousin Stefano in the project, who will manage the Rome branch.

Sancho's pizza since 1969 in Fiumicino

It's a family story that of the Di Lelio family, which began with the pizzeria in Fiumicino over 50 years ago, but in truth, it started much earlier. Grandfather Emilio opened the pizzeria in 1969 in the premises that previously housed the family's tavern. Emiliano, the nephew, tells us that Emilio was born exactly where the pizzeria's counter is today, where there used to be a wood-burning stove. In short, a life spent among flour, oven, pizza slices to be cut and wrapped, that of Grandfather Emilio who over twenty years ago passed the baton to his son Franco, now known as Sancho, a nickname inherited from his father that he has never abandoned.

Sancho's pizza, Tre Rotelle (Three Wheels) in our Pizzerias of Italy guide, has built its success step by step by combining great dough technique with the choice of fillings that delve deeply into popular cuisine, simple and straightforward. "Ten years ago, my brother Andrea and I modified dad's dough. No upheaval, just some technical improvements resulting from our training." So an hydration at 80%, long maturation that can last up to 90 hours, and the use of a part of semi-wholemeal flour to give, during cooking, a boost both to the color and to the aromatic notes. The result is a pan pizza with a crunchy base and a thin structure that welcomes and supports fillings that are head-spinning!

The new pizzeria in Rome

The one in Via Belli will, in fact, be the Roman version of the pizzeria in Fiumicino. Sancho's pizza arrives in Rome without any changes, not even in the structure of the premises, so there will be ample counter space and a few outdoor seats. "In Rome, customers will find our pizzas, the usual ones," explains Emiliano. "Obviously, the red and the margherita, but also the seafood pizzas like octopus and potatoes, the one with cuttlefish and peas, or potatoes and tuna belly." And then all the stuffed white ones, now Sancho's signature, starting from the timeless potato in pastry stuffed with porchetta, and then the one stuffed with breaded slices, salad, and mayonnaise, and then the tuna and tomatoes or the white one stuffed with chicken salad.

There is ample space for fried foods, a true passion of the Di Lelio brothers who put, on the pan and in the fryer, what they themselves love to eat first. The classic supplì al telefono are always present, along with pasta frittatas and seafood supplì. And Dad Franco? He will be at the headquarters in Fiumicino but is getting ready to enjoy a well-deserved rest, leaving Sancho in the hands of his boys who have interesting plans for the future. After this one in Rome, in fact, there will soon be other new openings inside and outside the Capital.