Born in 1980 in Cilento, Paolo De Simone launched the artisanal project Storie di Pane in 2010 and, in 2022, opened Modus in Milan, bringing Mediterranean flavors and slow fermentation to the forefront of Italy’s modern pizza scene.
Paolo De Simone hails from Vallo della Lucania, a town in the province of Salerno in southern Italy. Born in 1980 and raised in the Cilento region, he was introduced to the aromas of bread baking at an early age, learning the secrets of natural fermentation and the value of local ingredients from his grandmother.
Over the years, he deepened his understanding of short supply chains and built direct relationships with local producers, always prioritizing sustainable and respectful agricultural practices.
In 2010, he founded Storie di Pane, an artisanal concept in Vallo della Lucania that combines bakery, café, kitchen, wine shop, and grocery—all defined by a strong local identity.
His next venture took shape in an urban context: in 2022, he opened Modus in Milan, a pizzeria concept that merges contemporary aesthetics with the culinary traditions of Cilento. The format quickly gained recognition, standing out as one of Milan’s most promising new pizzerias.
His vision of pizza fuses two worlds: on one hand, a rustic, Cilento-inspired version reminiscent of homemade bread; on the other, a reimagined Neapolitan-style pizza with soft, airy dough and Mediterranean-inspired toppings—like buffalo mozzarella from Paestum, tomatoes from the Agro Sarnese-Nocerino area, and bluefish from the Cilento coast. The dough undergoes fermentation times ranging from 36 to 48 hours, using carefully selected flours (including from Mulino Caputo), ensuring high digestibility and lightness.
