BENIVIENI, GIROLAMO. - Humanist and poet, b. in Firenze on 6 Feb. 1453, d. there in 1542. He was closely associated with the Medici family, with Poliziano, with Ficino, and especially with Pico della Mirandola, beside whom he rests in the church of S. Marco. He possessed broad learning and mastery of verse, so much so as to excel among the poets of his time and to be regarded by B. Varchi as the second restorer of Italian poetry. At times, however, he seems somewhat obscure, owing to the dense Platonic teaching that enters into his rhymes. After he turned to Savonarola, he inspired almost all his works with religious subjects and became the official poet of Savonarolan manifestations.
Among his compositions may be mentioned the allegorical little poem Amore sull'amore umano, the Canzone de lo amore celeste e divino commented upon by Pico, and various lauds and moral songs.