The Tramezzino Turns 100: The Story of an Italian Classic

There are some foods that, despite their simplicity, become part of a country’s history. This is certainly true of the tramezzino, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026. From a small café in the heart of Turin came one of Italy’s most beloved snacks, now found in cafés, buffets, aperitivo spreads, and lunch breaks across the country. Behind two slices of soft bread and a delicious filling lies a story of travel, ingenuity, and even literature. One hundred years later, the tramezzino remains a symbol of Italian gastronomy and proves that even the simplest ideas can achieve extraordinary success.

The Tramezzino Was Born in Turin.

Contrary to what many people believe, the tramezzino was not born in Venice but in Turin, at the famous Caffè Mulassano, in Piazza Castello. In 1925, the café was purchased by Angela Demichelis Nebiolo and her husband, Onorino Nebiolo, two Turinese who had returned from the United States after spending several years in Detroit. During their stay, they had discovered the soft bread used for American sandwiches and decided to introduce something similar in Italy.
According to the most widely accepted story, the couple imported a machine for making toast, but the result failed to impress their customers in Turin. Angela then came up with a simple yet brilliant idea: using the same soft sandwich bread without toasting it, removing the crust, and filling it with high-quality ingredients. The first tramezzini were elegant and refined and were served with the aperitivo, often accompanied by a glass of Vermouth. What seemed like a small innovation soon became a tradition that spread throughout Italy.

Why Is It Called a Tramezzino?

Even its name has an interesting story. Until the 1920s, people simply referred to it as a sandwich, an English word that was frowned upon during the Fascist period because there was an effort to replace foreign terms with Italian ones. According to tradition, it was Gabriele D’Annunzio who suggested the name ‘tramezzino’, the diminutive of ‘tramezzo’, meaning “something in between.” The word referred both to the filling placed between two slices of bread and to a snack eaten between meals. It would not be the first time that the famous poet left his mark on the Italian language. He is also credited with coining or popularizing words that are still widely used today, such as ‘velivolo’ (aircraft), ‘fusoliera’ (fuselage), ‘scudetto’ (championship badge), and even promoting the feminine form of the word ‘automobile‘. Whether the name tramezzino was actually coined during one of D’Annunzio’s visits to Caffè Mulassano or adopted shortly afterward, one thing is certain: the word became enormously popular and quickly replaced the English term.

The Tramezzino Wins Over Italy.

In the following years, the tramezzino spread beyond Turin and began appearing in cafés and bars throughout Italy. Its strength lay in its simplicity: it was easy to prepare, convenient to eat, and allowed for endless combinations of fillings. Tuna and mayonnaise, ham and cheese, eggs, tomatoes, olives, marinated artichokes, and smoked salmon are just a few of the fillings that became classics over the years.
An important role in its growing popularity was also played by the magazine La Cucina Italiana, which published one of the first recipes dedicated to the tramezzino in 1936, helping introduce this specialty to readers across the country. Since then, the tramezzino has become a permanent feature of Italian daily life, appearing at buffets, family celebrations, and lunch breaks alike.