While pizza-like flatbreads existed for centuries, the modern Pizza Margherita was created in 1889 by pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito. During a visit to Naples by Queen Margherita of Savoy, Esposito was asked to create three different pizzas. The Queen's favorite was the one that featured the colors of the Italian flag: red (tomatoes), white (mozzarella), and green (basil). This royal endorsement helped elevate pizza from a local street food for the poor to a national symbol of Italy. Today, the 'Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana' has strict rules for what constitutes an authentic Margherita, including the use of San Marzano tomatoes and Mozzarella di Bufala Campana.