Massimo Montanari (born 24 December 1949 in Imola, Italy) is a professor of medieval history at Bologna University. He is a scholar in food studies. His interest in the subject stems from his researches and studies in medieval agrarian history. He has been invited as visiting professor to a number of leading universities in Europe, Japan, the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Montanari has been one of the founders and editor of the international review Food & History, published by the Institut Européen d’Histoire et des Cultures de l’Alimentation; he is member of a number of scientific societies and plays an important role in disseminating topics of his interest to the general public.