BENIAMI, MASSIMIANO. - Theologian of the Order of Conventuals, born at Codogno in the Lodigiano in the first half of the sixteenth century, died at Chioggia on 10 March 1601. He became a Franciscan in the convent of Crema, had as his teacher Fr. Girelli, a philosopher and theologian of great renown, and was esteemed by s. Carlo Borromeo, who had him elected provincial minister of Bologna (1570–73).
Doctor and master of theology and a zealous opponent of heresy, he took part in the Council of Trent, where on 7 Dec. 1561 he delivered his oration Quam bene sperandum de summa Dei benignitate et providentia (ed. Padua 1562). Sisto V created him bishop of Chioggia on 9 Sept. 1585.
BIBL.: P. Ridolfi da Tossignano, Histor. Seraph. Relig., Venice 1586, ff. 273, 329; G. Franchini, Bibliosofia di scritt. Francesc. Conv., Modena 1693, p. 431; L. Wadding, Script. Ord. Min., 2nd ed., Rome 1906, p. 173; I. H. Sbaralca, Supplim. Script. Ord. Min., II, ibid. 1908, pp. 244–45; I. Abste, Series Epp. O. F. M. Conv., in Miscell. francesc., 31 (1931), p. 109. Giovanni Odoradi