The entrepreneur
Nuccia De Angelis
Born in Silvi, for some years she stayed away from Abruzzo for study and work reasons.
Currently she lives with her husband in the countryside, the beloved sea always in sight and the Montepagano nature all around.
Graduated in classical literature in Chieti, she specialized in medieval archaeology in Pisa.
The great passion for underwater activities and food and wine has determined her professional choices. She dedicated herself for some years to underwater archaeology, she discovered and studied the ancient submerged ports of Hatria and Castrum Novum.
Journalist and publicist, she has written about food and wine but also about underwater archaeology and medicine.
Founder, with her husband Alessandro Marroni, of the international DAN Europe Foundation that deals with underwater medical research and health care worldwide.
Her project is the recovery of the village of Montepagano through the Albergo diffuso Montepagano 1137.
Together with chef Davide Pezzuto, she created the innovative format of the “ristorante diffuso”.
In 2019 she was awarded “Best Restaurant of the Year” by Gambero Rosso.
The Chef
Davide Pezzuto
From Salento, Puglia, where he was born in 1980.
When he was very young, his real passion was to follow the family farm, while cooking was just a way to earn money and become independent.
Soon, his innate skills as a cook put him at the centre of attention.
At the age of 21, he began his escalation into the kitchens of famous hotels, until he discovered gourmet food and was assigned to high level positions in multi-starred restaurants such as Rossellinis in Ravello, Abac in Barcelona and La Pergola in Rome, where he became sous-chef to Heinz Beck.
In 2014, from the meeting with the entrepreneur Nuccia De Angelis, the idea of the Ristorante Diffuso was born and realised the following year, with the opening of D.one.
The chef teaches in various cooking schools and personally follows the 20-hectare farm that is at the restaurant’s disposal.
He frequently appears in television programs. Over the years he has obtained several awards and is mentioned in the most prestigious restaurant guides.
(Credits: Ph Wilson Santinelli – Italian Gourmet)