Heart-breaking tributes as co-owner of beloved Greater Manchester pizzeria dies

The co-owner of a popular pizza restaurant and takeaway in Trafford has tragically passed away after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Marco Carboni, who ran the Ceresis pizzeria with his partner Valentina, passed away in his hometown of Rome on May 17 at the age of 49. His death came just a few months after he received the news that his cancer was terminal.

Famed for being one of the only Roman-style pizzerias in the city-region, Ceresis garnered popularity for some of Greater Manchester’s best sourdough pizzas served by the slice since opening their shop on Northenden Road in Sale Moor last year.

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Marco and Valentina, who is a classically trained chef, moved to Manchester after running their own Italian restaurant for a few years in Bournemouth. The pair were both born and raised in Rome.

The news of Marco’s passing was first shared in a Facebook post last week from the couple’s friend Sharon Coen. Sharon explained that Marco and Valentina had moved back to Rome in April in a ‘desperate attempt to save Marco’s life’.

She added: “Valentina and the kids are understandably devastated, but they are determined to come back. Valentina said "Ceresis was Marco's last dream and I will come back for him, to bring back Marco's pizza".

In a statement issued to the Manchester Evening News today (May 27), Valentina said: “Marco built Ceresis, he put all his efforts into it. He didn't want to give up, his dream was to come back and make pizza and he was looking forward to starting again because he believed in it. We still do.

“We got to a point where our pizza was really special. His pizza really counts for something. This is