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{{for|the surname|Butera (surname)}}
{{Infobox Italian comune
| name                = Butera
| official_name       = District of Butera
| native_name         = 
| image_skyline       = Butera General view.JPG
| imagesize           = 
| image_alt           = 
| image_caption       = 
| image_shield        = Butera-Stemma.gif
| shield_alt          = 
| shield_size         = px
| image_map           = Map of comune of Butera (province of Caltanissetta, region Sicily, Italy).svg
| map_alt             = 
| map_caption         = Butera in the Province of Caltanissetta
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt     = 
| coordinates         = {{coord|37|11|N|14|11|E|region:IT_type:city(5178)|display=inline}}
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| region              = [[Sicily]]
| province            = [[Province of Caltanissetta|Caltanissetta]] (CL)
| frazioni            = Butera Scalo, Falconara, Marina di Butera, Piano della Fiera, Tenutella
| mayor_party         = 
| mayor               = Filippo Balbo 
| area_footnotes      = 
| area_total_km2      = 295
| population_footnotes = <ref name="population">{{cite web|title=Monthly Demographic Balance|url=https://demo.istat.it/app/?l=en&a=&i=D7B|publisher=[[Italian National Institute of Statistics|ISTAT]]}}</ref>
| population_total    = 4081
| population_as_of    = 2025
| population_demonym  = Buteresi
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m         = 402
| twin1               = 
| twin1_country       = 
|istat=| saint               = [[St. Roch]]
| day                 = August 16
| postal_code         = 93011
| area_code           = 0934
| website             = {{official website|https://www.comunedibutera.it/}}
| footnotes           = 
}}

'''Butera''' ([[Sicilian language|Sicilian]]: ''Vutera'') is an Italian town and [[communes of Italy|commune]] in the [[province of Caltanissetta]], in the southern part of the island of [[Sicily]]. It is bounded by the communes of [[Gela]], [[Licata]], [[Mazzarino, Sicily|Mazzarino]], [[Ravanusa]] and [[Riesi]]. It is located {{convert|49|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Caltanissetta]], the [[Provinces of Italy|province]]'s capital, and has a population of 4,081.<ref name="population2" /> 

==Etymology==
The etymology of the name ''Butera'' is debated.

One hypothesis is that the name is of [[Arabic]] origin. Butera was called ''Butirah'' by the Arabs, which means "steep place". The Arabic demonym ''al-Buthayri'' was used to refer to a person from Butera (Arabic: ''Buthayr'').<ref>{{cite book|author1=Karla Mallette|title=The Kingdom of Sicily, 1100–1250: A Literary History|date=6 Jun 2011|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=9780812204797|pages=98, 140}}<!--|accessdate=28 December 2014--></ref> Butera is also a common name of people in Rwanda (East Africa) where most of men and boys are given this name as a sign of strength.

Another would suggest that the name "Butera" is of [[Ancient Greek language|Greek]] origin, and several contemporary scholars tend to reject the Arabic theory of Butera's etymology. This is upheld by Giovan Battista Pellegrini, who claims that "The Arabic form for Butera, always with the interdental, should be an indication of a Greek etymon with / d / (the etymological assumptions from Arabic do not satisfy)".<ref>p. 456, G. B. Pellegrini, ''Saggi di Linguistica italiana: Storia Struttura società'' (1975), Boringhieri [https://books.google.com/books?id=MGcmAAAAMAAJ&q=butera]</ref> Upholders of a Greek origin for the Butera have suggested that the word may come from  ''bothèr'' (shepherd),<ref name="italythisway.com">[[Centro di studi filologici e linguistici siciliani]], “Bollettino” n. 1–2, p.96, 1953, taken from [http://www.italythisway.com/places/articles/butera-history.php]</ref> ''boutherès'' (country which permits for summer pasture),<ref>[http://www.italythisway.com/places/articles/butera-history. p.140, Sicolorum Gymnasium, 1986, taken from]</ref> ''boutyros'' (butter merchant) or ''bouteron'' (butter).<ref name="italythisway.com"/>  B. Pace himself has asserted that the term, aside from ''boutherès'', may derive also from the [[Byzantine|Graeco-Byzantine]] word ''patela'' (plain), which refers to Butera's location.<ref>From B. Pace’s ''Toponimi Bizantini'', p. 414–415, as found in p.213 note 141, F. Maurici's ''Castelli medievali in Sicilia: Dai Bizantini ai Normanni'', Sellerio, Palermo, 1992, as found in [http://www.italythisway.com/places/articles/butera-history.php]</ref>

==Archaeology==
In the area of  "Piano fiera" (a new neighborhood built below the old town) where a prehistoric necropolis still stands, is a construction called "dolmen cysts" made of stone slabs assembled in cubiform manner (a style found also throughout Sardinia). Used also in the Greek period, the monument is associated with cult practices, both Hellenic and indigenous,  and characterised by the positioning of human remains inside urns (Gk: enchytrismόs) which, in turn, were placed inside these small chambers.<ref name="Piccolo-dolmens">{{cite book|title=Ancient Stones, The Prehistoric Dolmens of Sicily|year=2013|publisher=Brazen Head Publishing|location=Thornham/Norfolk|isbn=9780956510624|author=Piccolo, Salvatore|author2=Darvill, Timothy|page=4}}<!--|accessdate=17 October 2013--></ref>

The history of this territory, at the time of Greek colonization, is not documented by ancient historians, and can only be reconstructed on the basis of archaeological research. Until the eighth century BC the tombs of ''Piano fiera'' do not show any relationship with the Greek area, but starting from the second half of the seventh century they were associated with rich grave goods imported from Greece.

==History==
The origins of Butera date back to the [[Early Bronze Age]].<ref name="onlinelibrary.wiley.com">{{cite journal|doi=10.1046/j.1469-1809.2003.00007.x | volume=67 | title=Autosomal Microsatellite and mtDNA Genetic Analysis in Sicily (Italy) | journal=Annals of Human Genetics | pages=42–53 | author=Romano V| issue=Pt 1 | year=2003 | pmid=12556234 | s2cid=41123114 }}</ref> During the 6th century BC, the town—then likely the [[Omphace]] described by [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]]—was abandoned and was rebuilt only during the period of Timoleon, shortly after the middle of the fourth century BC<ref>Filippo Coarelli, Mario Torelli, ''Sicilia'', Guide archeologiche Laterza,1992.</ref> It was, however, a small village inhabited by farmers, subject to external aggression throughout the early Middle Ages. Butera, being situated close to Gela, one of the most prominent [[ancient Greek]] cities of Sicily under [[Magna Graecia]], was itself settled by Greeks, especially from [[Crete]].<ref name="onlinelibrary.wiley.com"/><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fSg1s22QPqcC&q=greeks+crete+butera&pg=PA118 | title=Local Responses to Colonization in the Iron Age Mediterranean| isbn=9781134182817| last1=Hodos| first1=Tamar| date=2006-09-27}}</ref> The dialect spoken in the region was [[Doric Greek]].

Butera was captured by the [[Aghlabids]] during the [[Muslim conquest of Sicily]], following a 5-month siege in 853.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Alexander Metcalfe|title=Muslims and Christians in Norman Sicily: Arabic-Speakers and the End of Islam|date=21 Jan 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317829256|page=12}}<!--|accessdate=28 December 2014--></ref> Out of the [[three valli of Sicily]], it was part of the ''Val di [[Noto]]'', in the southeastern corner of the island. Following the fall of Butera to the [[Normans]] in 1091,<ref>{{cite book|author1=Alexander Metcalfe|title=Muslims and Christians in Norman Sicily: Arabic-Speakers and the End of Islam|date=21 Jan 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317829256|page=28}}<!--|accessdate=28 December 2014--></ref> the town's Muslim leaders were resettled in [[Calabria]] to prevent them from fomenting rebellion among the rest of the population.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Paul M. Cobb|title=The Race for Paradise: An Islamic History of the Crusades|date=21 Jul 2014|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199532018|page=59}}<!--|accessdate=28 December 2014--></ref> However, a mosque in the town is recorded even in the 12th century, as with certain other Sicilian cities such as [[Catania]], [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]], [[Segesta]] and [[Alcamo]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Alex Metcalfe|title=The Muslims of Medieval Italy|date=2009|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|isbn=9780748620081|page=111|edition=illustrated}}<!--|accessdate=28 December 2014--></ref> It was one of the last Muslim strongholds to fall, due to stubborn resistance,<ref>{{cite book|author1=Alex Metcalfe|title=The Muslims of Medieval Italy|date=2009|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|isbn=9780748620081|page=100|edition=illustrated}}<!--|accessdate=28 December 2014--></ref> and was described as "one of the strongest outposts of anti-Norman sentiment."<ref>{{cite book|author1=Jill Caskey|author2=Adam S. Cohen|author3=Linda Safran|title=Confronting the Borders of Medieval Art|date=22 Jun 2011|publisher=BRILL|isbn=9789004207493|pages=81, 116|edition=illustrated}}<!--|accessdate=28 December 2014--></ref> A notable Buteresi of the Norman period was 12th century poet and [[Qāriʾ|Quran reciter]] 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammed ibn 'Umar al-Buthayri, who wrote: "No life can be serene, save that in the shadows of sweet Sicily."<ref>{{cite book|author1=Melitta Weiss Adamson|title=Regional Cuisines of Medieval Europe: A Book of Essays: A Book of Essays|date=14 Oct 2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781135308759|page=116}}<!--|accessdate=28 December 2014--></ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Hubert Houben|title=Roger II of Sicily: A Ruler Between East and West|date=4 Apr 2002|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521655736|page=107|edition=illustrated}}<!--|accessdate=28 December 2014--></ref>

Following Butera's conquest by the Normans, it became an important [[Lombards of Sicily|Lombard]] town and indeed was the capital of the prominent {{ill|County of Butera|it|Contea di Butera|vertical-align=sup}} under the [[Aleramici]], a noble [[Northwest Italy|Northwest Italian]] family of [[Franks|Frankish]] origin, as well as the Alagona, an [[Aragon]]ese family, from 1089 to 1392. Settlers from [[Northern Italy]] (including [[Lombardy]], [[Piedmont]], [[Liguria]] and [[Emilia-Romagna]]) as well as [[southern France]] migrated to the county,<ref name="onlinelibrary.wiley.com"/> which is reflected in the presence of [[Gallo-Italic of Sicily|Gallo-Italic dialects]] which are still spoken in certain Sicilian towns such as [[Piazza Armerina]] and [[Aidone]]. Butera itself was re-populated with [[Swabia]]ns from [[southern Germany]] following its destruction by [[William I of Sicily|William I]] as a reaction to anti-monarchical resistance in 1161.<ref name="comunedibutera.it">{{Cite web |url=http://www.comunedibutera.it/la_storia.html |title=La Storia |access-date=2015-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102172603/http://www.comunedibutera.it/la_storia.html |archive-date=2015-01-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1392, the Alagona family lost possession of the County following their defeat by [[Martin I of Sicily|Martin I]], and was passed to the [[Catalonia|Catalan]] prince Ugo of Santapau. In 1543, [[Ambrogio Santapau]] was nominated Prince of Butera, after defeating [[Hayreddin Barbarossa]], the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] pirate. Up until the 19th century, this was Sicily's main feudal title.<ref name="comunedibutera.it"/>

In Butera, 12–13% of the population carries the [[sickle-cell trait]], and its prevalence amongst the town's citizens is believed to be due to selective pressure against [[malaria]]. While some sources claim that it was introduced by the Muslim conquerors,<ref>{{cite book|author1=Miriam Bloom|title=Understanding Sickle Cell Disease|date=20 Oct 2009|publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi|isbn=9781604737578|pages=35–36}}<!--|accessdate=28 December 2014--></ref> other scientific studies claim that it was brought by the [[ancient Greece|Greeks]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/245859724 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102170041/http://www.researchgate.net/publication/245859724_Presence_of_an_African_-globin_gene_cluster_haplotype_in_normal_chromosomes_in_sicily |archive-date=2015-01-02 |title=Presence of an African β-globin gene cluster haplotype in normal chromosomes in sicily - ResearchGate}}</ref> At present, approximately 7% of the surnames in the city (457 out of 1,732) are attributed to a possible [[Greek language|Hellenic origin]].<ref name="onlinelibrary.wiley.com"/>

== Demographics ==
{{Historical populations|1861|5157|1871|5304|1881|5739|1901|6955|1911|7528|1921|7522|1931|8656|1936|9139|1951|10675|1961|9498|1971|7132|1981|6238|1991|5673|2001|5376|2011|4937|2021|4199|cols=2|align=none|source=[[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Popolazione residente e presente dei comuni. Censimenti dal 1861 al 1971|trans-title=Resident and present population of the municipalities. Censuses from 1861 to 1971|url=https://ebiblio.istat.it/digibib/Censimenti%20popolazione/Censimentipopolazioneresidentedal1861/PUV0027177Pop_res_pres_cens_1861_1971_Tomo1.pdf|date=1971-10-24|lang=it|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Dashboard Permanent census of population and housing|url=https://esploradati.censimentopopolazione.istat.it/databrowser/#/en/censtest/dashboards|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]}}</ref>}}

==Main sights ==
* [[Arab-Norman]] Castle: from the 9th century
* Cathedral: dedicated to [[Thomas the Apostle|Saint Thomas]] and found in the Piazza Duomo, it was built in the 16th century.
* [[Sanctuary of San Rocco, Butera|Sanctuary of San Rocco]]: built in the 18th century
* Necropolis of Piano della Fiera: in use until the 6th century BC and the Hellenistic phase, its origins date to [[prehistory|prehistoric times]]
* ''Porta Reale (Royal Gate)'': given this name because it was entered by Norman count [[Roger I of Sicily|Roger I]] with a troop of Lombard soldiers
* ''Piazza Dante'': the city's main square, with the town hall and the Church of S. Giuseppe (St Joseph)
* [[San Francesco, Butera|San Francesco]]: oldest church in the town, it was founded by the first Norman Christians and became a church of [[Franciscan Order|Franciscan friar]]s.

==References and notes==
* This article contains information translated from the [[:it: Butera|Italian Wikipedia article]]
{{reflist}}

==Twin cities==
*{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Gevelsberg]], [[Germany]]
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Gambellara]], Italy

==External links==
{{commons category-inline|Butera}}

{{Province of Caltanissetta}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Municipalities of the Province of Caltanissetta]]
[[Category:4th-century BC establishments in Italy]]
[[Category:6th-century BC disestablishments]]
[[Category:1st-millennium BC disestablishments in Italy]]