Massimiliano Soldani Benzi

Massimiliano Soldani or Massimiliano Soldani Benzi was an Italian baroque sculptor and medallist, mainly active in Florence. Born at Montevarchi, the son of a Tuscan cavalry captain, Soldani was employed by the Medici for his entire career.

Soldani began training in the Medici drawing school in Florence. He attracted the attention of Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici who sent Soldani to his grand-ducal academy in Rome to study under Ciro Ferri and Ercole Ferrata, and to train in coining. During his years in Rome (1678-81), he showed much promise and was asked by Queen Christina of Sweden to create several medals. He started this enterprise but left it unfinished as Cosimo transferred the artist to Paris to work with the famous medallist Joseph Roettiers.

While there in 1682, Soldani came into contact with Charles Le Brun and minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert. Learning that the artist was working on a medal portrait of Louis XIV, a courtier Soldani refers to the courtier as "Mons.r Duca d'Homone" (possibly Louis, duc d'Aumont who was very interested in the art of medals) introduced the young man to the king. The model for this medal of Louis XIV is now in the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.

Grand Duke Cosimo in the meantime decided that it was time for Soldani to return to Florence and take charge of the Grand-ducal Mint, the job he was meant to occupy from the very start. Upon the death of the current director, Soldani was officially made Maestro dei Coni e Custode della Zecca in 1688. As such he had his workshop and living quarters in the Uffizi.

When he finally gave up work at the age of about 80, Soldani Benzi retired to his Villa Petrolo near Bucine where he died in 1740.

Text courtesy of Wikipedia, 2023