Buzzi, Aldo, 1910-2009

Aldo Buzzi was an Italian writer and architect who was active in Italian cinema circa 1940s-1960s. Buzzi was born in Como, Italy on August 10, 1919. He received an architecture degree from the Politecnico di Milano in 1938 where he met and befriended Romanian-born artist Saul Steinberg. Buzzi and Steinberg remained close friends until Steinberg’s death in 1999, maintaining a long-distance friendship through frequent correspondence. Buzzi published a number of books and essays inspired by their friendship and letters including Piccolo diario americano (1974) and Reflections and Shadows (2002). Buzzi’s partner of over 50 years was Bianca Lattuada, sister to Italian filmmaker Alberto Lattuada. Buzzi and Bianca Lattuada both worked in the Italian film industry beginning in the 1940s, often on Alberto Lattuada’s films. After working as an assistant director and screen writer for Italian cinema through the 1960s, Buzzi became an essayist. He wrote and published books and essays, many on travel, from the 1970s through the early 2000s. Buzzi died in Milan on October 9, 2009.