Dialect Poetry of Southern Italy (Italian Poetry in Translation Book 2)

IGNAZIO BUTTITTA

Ignazio Buttitta was born on September

21, 1899 in Bagheria (Palermo). As a boy he

helped his mother in the grocery shop. In

1916 he is drafted and fights on the Piave.

Having returned home in 1920, he goes back

to work in the store. In 1922 he founds in his

town a club named after the socialist Filippo

Turati; he takes part in a popular revolt

against local taxes. In 1925 he publishes his

first small volume of dialect poetry,

Sintimentali [Sentimental] (with a preface by

G. Pipitone Federico) and in 1928 the love

song Marabedda. In this period, he edits with

Ganci Battaglia the dialect poetry review La

Trazzera, which will be shut down by the

Fascist regime shortly after. The poet moves

to Milan, where he starts a business activity: