Pisa, 31 December 2025 – He died at the age of 89 Sergio Lorenzilegend of Tuscan cuisine, starred chef, restaurateur and promoter of Italian cuisine in the world: he will remain in the annals as the inventor of sliced beef.
Originally from Camaiore ma pisano by adoption, Lorenzi was a key figure in the evolution of Italian catering from the post-war period up to full international recognition. The funeral, reports Adnkronos, is scheduled for Friday 2 January, at 3pm, in the church of the Holy Family in Pisa.
The character
Sergio Lorenzi was also the chef of great people. Presidents of the Republic such as have eaten in its Pisan rooms Giovanni Gronchi e Giorgio Napolitanoworld-famous scientists, politicians, artists and international stars such as Frank Sinatra. But behind the success and recognition there is a personal story marked by sacrifices, precocious talent and an unshakable passion for cooking.
Born in one very poor family from the VersiliaLorenzi began working in the kitchen at just 13 years old. His childhood and adolescence were also marked by the horrors of war: as a boy he witnessed the Nazi massacre of Sant’Anna di Stazzema of August 12, 1944 and his family risked a lot for having given hospitality to some Jews. Experiences that marked him deeply and which, as he said several times, contributed to forming his rigorous but generous character.
The move to Milan
In the 1950s he moved to Milanothen the capital of the great Italian restaurants. Here he worked in historic venues such as Giannino, Savini, Giarrettiera and Bel Sit, alongside masters of extraordinary experience. At the Giarrettiera, a few steps from the “Corriere della Sera”, he came into contact with journalists and intellectuals and witnessed the birth ofItalian Academy of Cuisinefounded by Orio Vergani and Dino Villani. At just twenty years old, Lorenzi had already covered all the cooking matches, demonstrating a rare talent and uncommon discipline.
The landing in Pisa
After the great Milanese experience, he landed in Pisa eat chef Buzzino restaurantbehind Piazza dei Miracoli. In a short time he managed to relaunch the place, transforming it into one of the most famous restaurants in Italy. In 1970 he opened his first restaurant in Pisa, “Sergio“, obtained from an old garage and transformed into a sober but welcoming environment, where the kitchen was the absolute protagonist. Here some of his first creative intuitions were born, such as “penne alla zingara”, a simple but innovative dish that quickly won over the public.
The invention of the sliced beef
In 1973 came the turning point destined to mark the history of Tuscan cuisine: Lorenzi created the sliced beef. A dish that was only apparently elementary, which reinterpreted the tradition of the Florentine steak focusing on the absolute quality of the meat, on rare cooking and on a precise, transversal cut capable of enhancing its tenderness.
Served on a hot tray, accompanied by cannellini beans and seasoned with an emulsion of extra virgin olive oil, lemon, salt and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce, the cut quickly became a classic, copied throughout Italy and the world.
To make the definitive leap in quality, in 1977 Lorenzi took over an old restaurant on the Pisa Lungarno Pacinottiselling the first room. A risky choice: the area was then one of the symbols of student protest, with frequent clashes and the throwing of tear gas. Despite everything, Lorenzi’s cuisine was able to impose itself through rigor, elegance and coherence.
The Michelin star
In 1978 the most coveted recognition arrived: the Stella Michelinwhich the “Da Sergio” restaurant maintained continuously until it closed. From that moment the place became an absolute point of reference. At Lorenzi’s tables sat heads of state, ministers, actors, singers, scientists and intellectuals from all over the world. The proximity to the Normal School it favored meetings with internationally renowned scholars, while the cultural climate of the city contributed to making the restaurant a true salon of thought and taste.
In the Eighties, while his cut was imitated everywhere – often distorted – Sergio Lorenzi was already looking beyond. Convinced that Italian cuisine should conquer the role it deserved on the global scene, in 1984 he was among the founders of the Order of Italian Professional Restaurateurs. The association brought together the best of Italian catering abroad: from Tony May to Lydia Bastianich, up to Massimo Ferrari, historic ambassador of Italian cuisine in Brazil.
Lorenzi was first its general secretary and then president, contributing for over thirty years to spreading Italian products and gastronomic culture across the five continents.
With a veritable army of students spread across the world – including Pino Posteraro in Vancouver – Lorenzi also left a profound mark as a teacher. His legacy is collected in the book “La cucina di Sergio Lorenzi” (Cld Libri, 2015), a volume that combines autobiography, historical memory and over 250 recipes, many of which are linked to the Pisan and Tuscan tradition.
The memory
“I had the privilege of knowing Sergio and hanging out with him during the years of my mandate as mayor. An extraordinary man, even before being a great chef – recalls the former mayor of San Giuliano Terme, Sergio Di Maio – Sergio Lorenzi brought Pisa to the world, transforming Italian cuisine into a universal language. Inventor of Tagliata, pioneer of contemporary gastronomy, but above all witness to a difficult history, marked by war and the ability to always get back up. I remember his stories, the lucidity with which he spoke about his childhood, the near-tragedy in Sant’Anna di Stazzema, and that determination that led him, starting from the rubble of the post-war period, to the most prestigious kitchens and the Presidents of the Republic. A great protagonist of Italian culture is passing away, but a life lesson made of passion, sacrifice and intelligence remains. A sincere thought of condolences to his family.”
