The Corona crisis hits showman Francesco Calzarano hard. But the Derenburger by choice does what a real Neapolitan does.
Derenburg l A loud “buon giorno” echoes across the small inner courtyard at Kirchstrasse 13 in Derenburg’s old town. In the courtyard there is a smell of freshly baked pizza. With a beaming smile and a chef’s hat in the Italian national colors, Francesco Calzarano stands behind the counter of his food truck, which has just found space in the backyard. But the 56-year-old doesn’t really feel like laughing. “I haven’t earned anything for seven months,” he says. The corona pandemic hit him hard.
Francesco Calzarano has been represented with his showman business at folk festivals and markets all over Germany for years. But since the first lockdown, there has been no carousel, no children’s train, no Italian ice cream goes over the counter of his ice cream truck. “I lived on Hartz IV for half a year and on my family’s money,” he says. After the relaxation of the corona restrictions, he was once again hoping to get better. “I could host another wedding and a family celebration, but that’s it. We waited a long time, had markets in Frankfurt, Salzgitter and Hannoversch-Münden in prospect, but then everything was canceled, ”reports Calzarano, who has meanwhile mothballed all of his equipment. A bitter blow for him and his wife Tatiana.
“It was always my dream. I always wanted to be a showman. It’s in my blood, ”he says with shining eyes. But that’s over for now.
From Naples to Derenburg
Due to the corona, he has now made a virtue of necessity and opened a pizza service. Naturally, really Neapolitan – of course. Because Naples is not only the birthplace of the world-famous Pizza Margherita, but also that of Francesco Calzarano. “In 1972 I came to Germany with my parents, near Bad Gandersheim,” he says. Shortly after the reunification, he happened to come to Ilsenburg. The spirit of optimism was contagious. “I wanted to open a pizzeria and actually stay in Ilsenburg,” recalls Francesco Calzarano, who was still out and about with an ice cream truck at the time. He became aware of Derenburg and the little house on the bridge in the direction of Blankenburg, where he finally set up his own little “Pizzeria Napoli”.
Francesco Calzarano is now at home in Derenburg. He has bought a small half-timbered house and always lends a hand when a helping hand is needed in the town, such as at the end of November when installing the Christmas lights on the market square. There he usually delights the youngest Derenburger with his children’s train, who can do their laps around the Christmas tree in the wagons and in the puffing locomotive. But that was also canceled in December. Likewise, the park festival he has been organizing for years in summer with the popular duck race on the Holtemme.
Now he’s back at the oven as a pizza baker, filling even the most unusual creations if desired. And if you don’t feel like pizza, Francesco also has fresh salads and pasta dishes to pick up. With his little red scooter he tries, if possible, to fulfill all delivery requests. Except on Tuesdays. Even a Neapolitan pizza maker needs a day’s rest.
Information and contact on (01 51) 59 94 39 75
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