MENZINI, BENEDETTO. - Priest, poet, born in Firenze on 29 March 1646, died in Roma on 7 Nov. 1704. Of lively intellect and solid classical learning, he was professor of eloquence in Firenze and Prato. In Roma, where he went in 1685, he received protection and favour, a canonical prebend from Pope Innocenzo XII, and the teaching of eloquence at the archiginnasio; in 1701, he was appointed assistant to the same chair at the University. He was among the first Arcadians.
He wrote: L'arte poetica, five books in terza rima, published in 1699, following in the footsteps of the Poetics of Aristotle and Horace. His other works, such as Il terrestre paradiso and the Poesie, published in 1680, show the influence of Tasso and Chiabrera; whereas the Saitre, published posthumously in 1718, are an invective against the society of his time (especially that of Firenze), and a poorly restrained outburst against rivals and envious persons. Not very original, M. nevertheless merits credit for a lively and straightforward language, and for verse that is fluent and often seasoned with popular expressions.