Ignazio Buttitta

Ignazio Buttitta was born in Palermo in June 23rd 1965. He teaches Ethno-history and Ethnography of Sardinia at the University of Sassari. He is President of the Folkstudio in Palermo, General Secretary of the Association for the Preservation of Folk traditions, Director of the Mediterranean Ethnomusical Archives, General Manager of the Ignazio Buttitta Foundation, for which he has carried out several researche and arranged lectures and study meeting. He deals with the study of people’s religiousness in Southern Italy with particular attention to the analysis of the ceremonial symbolism and of its changes in function and meaning related to the changes in social-economical conditions. He has carried out several research works in the field in Sicily, Sardinia, Calabria, Corsica, producing a huge documentation, even photographic and audiovisual.
Among his publications: Feste dell’alloro in Sicilia, Palermo, Folkstudio, 1992; Le fiamme dei santi. Usi rituali del fuoco nelle feste siciliane, Roma, Meltemi, 1999; La memoria lunga. Simboli e riti della religiosità tradizionale, Roma, Meltemi, 2002; Il fuoco. Simbolismo e pratiche rituali, Palermo, Sellerio, 2002; I morti e il grano. Tempi del lavoro e ritmi della festa, Roma, Meltemi, 2006.