David P. Bénéteau , Ph.D.
Professor of Italian
Department of Languages Literatures and Cultures
(973) 275-2718
Email
Fahy Hall
Room 219
David P. Bénéteau, Ph.D.
Professor of Italian
Department of Languages Literatures and Cultures
My main interests are in Medieval and early Renaissance Italian Literature. I specialize on early prose translations into Italian from old French, and I have published two critical editions of a text composed in Florence in 1313 entitled "Li fatti de' Romani" (The Deeds of the Romans). I also published a third book, on the "secrets" of pre-industrial ceramic glazes production, The Ceramists Secrets.
I have been at Seton Hall since 1992. I grew up in Italy, and then I lived ten years in French Canada before I received my Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. I have since lived two years in China in different periods.
Aside from teaching Italian in all areas (literature, theater, melodrama, language), I have also taught in the medieval colloquium of the Honors Program; Great Books in English; Core 1101, The Journey of Transformation; and Core 3101, Engaging the World: Meeting the Other. I was visiting professor of American Literature in China, at Wuhan University. I was Chair of the Faculty Senate for three years, Chair of the Faculty Guide Committee, Director of Liberal Studies and of numerous other committees.
Now a full professor, I work with the interdisciplinary Italian Studies program, comprising of five faculty and five part-time adjunct professors.
Education
- Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
- M.A., University of California, Berkeley
- B.A., McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Scholarship
Books
- Le Verace Istorie Romane. Edizione critica del manoscritto Ham. 67 (The True Roman Histories). Alessandria, Italy: Edizioni dell’Orso, 2023. A critical edition of Roman history contained in Ms. Hamilton 67 of Berlin
- Li fatti de’ Romani. Edizione critica dei manoscritti Hamilton 67 e Riccardiano 2418. A cura di David P. Bénéteau. Alessandria: Edizioni dell’Orso, 2012
- The Ceramist's Secrets. Dionigi Marmi. Translated with an introductory note by David P. Bénéteau. Florence: Aedo, 2005
Articles
- “Ciò che manca”. In Cesare taccio. Le vicende di Roma antica nei volgarizzamenti francesi e italiani medievali. Genova, Italy: Genova University Press, 2024 (forthcoming)
- “Per un’edizione critica della versione toscana dell’ Histoire ancienne jusqu’à César contenuta nel manoscritto Hamilton 67: Le Verace Istorie Romane.” Carte Romanze, Milan, Italy 9 / 2, 2021, 135-163
- “I Disticha catonis nel ms. Trivulziano 768”. Bollettino dell’opera del vocabolario italiano, XXV, (2020), forthcoming
- “Un manoscritto de Li Fatti de’ Romani a Napoli: BNN XIII.C.71.” Schede umanistiche, XXXIII (2019), 5-23
- "Segreti, ricette e Virtù del ramerino in appendice alla Santà del corpo di Zucchero Bencivenni secondo il cod. Laur. Plut. LXXIII.47" Bollettino dell'opera del vocabolario italiano, V, (2000), 241- 250
- "Per un'edizione critica dei Fatti dei romani." Italianistica, Pisa, Italy, 17(3), 401- 411, May 1997
- "A Survey of Pedagogical Software Use in Italian, 1995." Italica, 72(4), 425- 451, December 1995
Accomplishments
- Seton Hall University Research Council Travel Grant (Germany and Italy 2021-22, Italy 2004 and 1997, Vatican 2002, Berlin 1994, Italy 1993)
- Albert Hakim, Faculty Service Medal, Seton Hall University (2015)
- Wuhan University Visiting Professor (2013-14). American Literature, Graduate Criticism, mentored Ph.D. students
- Chair, Faculty Senate, 2010-13
- Wuhan, China, Seton Hall University Visiting Exchange Program Scholar (2011)
- Seton Hall University Provost Research Grant (2005)
- National Endowment for the Humanities Seminar on Italian Paleography (Newberry Library, Chicago, 2001)
- Fellow, Villa I Tatti, Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies, (Florence, Italy 1999-2000)
- Member, International Council of Museums, 2021-present