For decades, it was established in 1963, not only the students of the Liceo Classico on the other side of Via Venezia, but almost all the inhabitants of my hometown, paid a visit to Pizzeria Liceo (aptly named after the aforementioned school).
Truant students often chose it to spend a few hours waiting to come back home, cheating their parents about their daily chores. New romances began and couples broke up. Lonely young men — and adults, too — would stop by and mumble to themselves about their bad luck in love, family or work. On the way home after a tiring day at work, it wasn’t uncommon to stop by and get a big tray full of pizzas, calzoni, potato croquettes (not to be confused with hash browns) as a dinner. And Pizzeria Liceo was always there for them, offering shelter, refreshement, and food for body and soul.
Once inside, it was a matter of luck whether you would be served reasonably soon, as all along the day there was usually a queue, no matter how quickly the waiters could pull pizzas and calzoni from the oven. This forced patrons to double-park, usually jamming the street. Not many people complained, though, as they knew that sooner or later they would be the ones obstructing the mobility to get Pizzeria Liceo’s delikatessen.
Fast forward to present times.
Because of the restrictions imposed by COVID-19’s lockdown, Pizzeria Liceo closed in 2020 and never came back to business. All that remains is an empty, derelict place whose abandoned furniture silently reminds those who knew it in its heyday the stories from their past.
As with the one already published here featuring a Moto Guzzi Falcone, also this photo was taken with the Pentax Z-20 loaded with an expired roll of Kodak Portra 160 and a Pentax SMC FA 50/1,4.
The overall visual result matches the mood of the story that this photo was meant to tell.
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Gary Smith on The Rise And Fall of Pizzeria Liceo – One Shot Story
Comment posted: 14/11/2025