At Cecio: a place where pizza ceases to be merely a dish and becomes a language. It tells the story of a region, the work of its people, and apursuit that doesn’t chase trends but chooses to forge its own identity.
Stepping into Cecio, whose name is a tribute to a friend, means crossing the threshold of a laboratory of ideas even before entering a pizzeria.
Here, pizza is the meeting point between technique and sensibility, between tradition and innovation. There’s no room for shortcuts, because every dough, every ingredient, and every pairing is the result of constant research and a deliberate commitment: to honor the region.
Cecio, in Lunata, just outside Lucca, is one such place.
Andrea Morini, known to everyone as Cecio, belongs to that generation of pizza makers who have transformed artisanal craftsmanship into a form of gastronomic culture. Born in 1975 and self-taught, he opened his first pizzeria in Porcari in 2008, embarking on a journey marked by study, experimentation, and continuous dialogue.
The years he devoted to researching flours, leavening, and fermentation earned him, in 2016, the Due Spicchi del Gambero Rosso award, which was confirmed in subsequent editions. In 2021, the project expanded and moved to Lunata, to a larger space with a dedicated kitchen, which is now a landmark for contemporary pizza in Tuscany.
The core of his philosophy is as simple as it is rigorous: starting with the raw ingredients. The vegetables come from the Lucca plain, the cured meats are selected from small local butchers, and the fior di latte comes from a local dairy.
When an ingredient comes from outside the region, it is only because it represents the finest example of its kind. Every choice stems from a respect for seasonality, short supply chains, and the work of producers.
The dough is at the heart of it all. Prepared exclusively with sourdough starter, stone-ground organic flours, and a fermentation period of about 48 hours, it offers lightness, aromatic depth, and excellent digestibility. Bread, pizzas, and focaccia are then finished in a wood-fired oven, which imparts character without altering their balance.
The menu also reflects this philosophy. Classic pizzas sit alongside creations that showcase the ongoing evolution of Morini’s culinary exploration.
The Padellini, steamed and finished in the wood-fired oven, combine crispiness with softness. The Soffiata, a house creation, is a focaccia sealed before baking that develops an internal air pocket, resulting in a surprisingly light texture. Rounding out the selection are the Cecina, artisanal bread, and a range of large leavened baked goods available year-round, from Pancecio to panettone and colomba.
But it is with the Pizza Ribadita that this exploration finds a new expression today.
The inspiration comes from pasta ribadita, an ancient recipe from the Tuscan peasant tradition in which the previous day’s pasta was sautéed in a pan with plenty of tomato sauce. Morini revives that ancient practice and transforms it into a technique applied to pizza.
During baking in the wood-fired oven, the dough is flipped in the baking pan: what was initially the top surface becomes the base, developing an intense crispness, while the top retains its softness and moisture.
This is neither a stylistic exercise nor a theatrical effect. It is a different way of interpreting pizza, born from the conviction that innovation must always have deep roots. La Pizza Ribadita is available in the Pisana, Marinara, and Margherita DOP versions—three classics reinterpreted through a new dough structure.
The beverage selection follows the same philosophy
The drink menu also reflects the restaurant’s identity.The wine list features small-scale organic and biodynamic producers from the hills around Lucca, complemented by a selection of Italian and French wines chosen for their stylistic similarities.The craft beers, primarily from Tuscany, come from independent breweries and round out a selection curated with the same care given to the cuisine.
Da Cecio is the story of a pizza that looks to the future without forgetting its roots. It’s a project where technique, local ingredients, and culinary culture come together naturally, transforming every dough into an authentic expression of Tuscan identity.
The atmosphere is modern. It seats 48 guests in the winter, expanding to over 80 in the summer.
Da Cecio doesn’t seek to impress at any cost. Rather, it strives for that rare balance where technique, tradition, and the local terroir coexist naturally. It’s a pizza that speaks softly but leaves a lasting impression. Because the best ideas aren’t those that break with the past—they’re the ones that understand it so deeply that they can transform it into the future.
