Antonio Buttura

Antonio Buttura (1771 – 23 August 1832) also known in France as Antoine Buttura was an Italian-born translator, linguist, and writer who became a French citizen. He was known for his bilingual Italian French works and for introducing major French classical literature to an Italian readership.

Biography Antonio Buttura was born in the town of Malcesine on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, during the final years of the Republic of Venice. A priest by training he became involved in literary work and translation during a period of growing Franco-Italian cultural exchange in the early 19th century. After the fall of Venice he moved to France and naturalized as a French citizen where he continued publishing linguistic and literary texts until his death in Paris in 1832.

Role during the Napoleonic period Buttura supported the reforms and ideals of the Napoleonic era and served briefly in clerical-administrative posts within the restructured governments of Northern Italy. After moving to Paris, he was part of a circle of intellectuals translating works and fostering literary diplomacy between France and Italy.