(b Florence, 1470; d c. 1537). Italian sculptor. The son of Giovanni Battista di Matteo, he was educated in Pisa. He was best known for his elaborate, fluid and well-composed style of decoration. He appears to have been less adept at carving figures, which is why his works are primarily reliefs, and most successful when highly decorative. Because of the similarity between his style and that of Lorenzo Stagi (b ?1455) and Stagio Stagi, and because of the lack of detailed documentation, distinguishing between the work of Benti and that of the Stagi is often difficult. The first documentary reference to his work dates from 1485, the year Pietrasanta came within the domain of Florence. There is mention that he worked with the ‘Master of the Door’ in the cathedral of S Martino in Pietrasanta. For the next decade he was active in Pietrasanta, helping with the reinforcement of the city walls and gateway, as well as undertaking more work in the cathedral. The fortress of Pietrasanta was surrendered to the French king, Charles VIII, in 1498 and Benti left for Genoa, where in 1499 he collaborated with Benedetto da Rovezzano on the singing-gallery in S Stefano, a work commissioned by Abbot Lorenzo Fieschi. This consists of four marble slabs with carved reliefs of musical angels and on the sides the coat of arms of the Fieschi. Carlo Aru attributes the outer two slabs to Benti because the figures are slightly too large for the space. The gallery bears the inscription LAURENTII FLISCI JUSSU ET ERE DONATUS BENTI ET BENEDICTUS FLORENTINI DIVO STEPHANO PROTHOMARTIRI CHRISTI SCULPSERE ANNO A NATIVITATE DOMINI MCCCCLXXXXIX (By the order and with the gold of Lorenzo Flisci [sic], Donato Benti and the Florentine Benedetto sculpted [this] for St Stephen protomartyr of Christ in the year 1499). The work was moved in 1639 and partially reconstructed.

• Benti, Donato (di Battista di Matteo)
  • Saint-Denis Abbey, §II, 2(ii): Tomb sculpture, after c 1500
  • Stagi, Stagio
  • Viscardi, Girolamo