Davide Mastrantonio

Davide Mastrantonio is an Associate Professor of Italian Linguistics at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Department of Humanities, where he has served since August 1, 2023. He holds the qualification to full professorship effective March 2025. His institutional roles include being the contact person for written Italian in the Humanities Area and responsible for linguistic training at the School for International Education (SIE).

His research spans multiple dimensions of Italian linguistics, with particular focus on historical linguistics, textuality, and academic Italian. Mastrantonio investigates linguistic contact between Latin and vernacular Italian, syntax and textuality of ancient Italian, medieval Sienese documents, the language of Galileo Galilei, and the history of words. A significant portion of his work concerns academic Italian as a denotative written variety of medium-high formality that transcends disciplinary boundaries.

His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on textual analysis, discourse phenomena, and the development of academic language resources. The trend shows increasing focus on practical applications of linguistic research, particularly in language teaching and the creation of specialized dictionaries and language resources for academic contexts. His work bridges historical linguistics with contemporary language teaching methodologies.

As Principal Investigator, Mastrantonio leads the PRIN 2022 PNRR project "Dictionary of Academic Italian: Textual Forms and Functions" (DIA), which involves Ca' Foscari University, the University of Milan, and the University for Foreigners of Siena. He serves on the scientific committees of the journal "La lingua italiana" (Serra Editore) and the series "Variae Voces" (Cesati Editore), and is a member of the editorial board of "Italiano a scuola".

Mastrantonio teaches courses including Italian Philology, Linguistics and Literature, Professional Italian, Italian Linguistics II, and History of the Italian Language II across various degree programs. His teaching approach integrates historical linguistic knowledge with practical language skills development, particularly for academic contexts. He has also conducted teacher training for the IPRASE research institute and the "I Lincei per la Scuola" Foundation.