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Florence · 1500–1571

The
Auto­bio­graphy
of Benvenuto
Cellini

Goldsmith  ·  Sculptor  ·  Adventurer

01 — The Book

The autobiography
that inspired the world

Salvador Dalí — inspired by Benvenuto Cellini's autobiography
Salvador Dalí
Called Cellini “the greatest autobiography ever written” and kept a copy in his studio.
Alexandre Dumas — inspired by Benvenuto Cellini's life and adventures
Alexandre Dumas
Drew directly from Cellini’s life for his novel — the escapes, the drama, the audacity.
Mark Twain — referenced Cellini's autobiography in Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twain
Tom Sawyer cites Cellini’s autobiography as inspiration in Huckleberry Finn (1884).
Ian Fleming — cited Cellini's swagger as a template for James Bond
Ian Fleming
Cited Cellini’s swagger as a template for Bond’s character.
Rolex Cellini watch collection — named after Benvenuto Cellini, master craftsman
Rolex
Named their Cellini watch collection after him — master craftsman, obsessive perfectionist.
Agatha Christie — referenced Cellini's goldwork in her mystery novels
Agatha Christie
Referenced Cellini in her mysteries — his goldwork as the object of obsession.
★ Amazon Bestseller · Renaissance  Top 20 USA, UK · Sculpture  Top 5 USA, UK
Previous translations
  • Victorian English
  • Polished away Cellini’s rawness
The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini — modern English translation, 2025 edition
This translation
  • Modern English
  • Kept Cellini’s raw voice intact
This autobiography has been translated by many writers — each in their own style.
Some in Victorian English. Some overly polished, stripping away Cellini’s personality.
This edition, published 2025, is written in modern English and keeps his voice raw.
His own words
“I have had to struggle with poverty, imprisonment, enemies, and exile — and always I have prevailed.”

Benvenuto Cellini  ·  The Autobiography

02 — Who Was Cellini

Florence’s most
dangerous artist

Born
Florence, 1500
Died
Florence, 1571
Craft
Goldsmith & Sculptor
Patron
Pope Clement VII
Patron
Francis I of France
Masterwork
Perseus, 1554
03 — Ask Cellini

He answered kings.
Now he’ll answer you.

B
Benvenuto Cellini Online & ready to speak
Try asking
AI · In Cellini’s voice · For entertainment   
B
You wish to speak with Cellini? Then speak. I have not lived this extraordinary life to remain silent about it.
His reach

A man who never left
any room quietly

10,000,000+
Visitors to his Perseus
Piazza della Signoria, Florence
9,000,000+
Visitors to the Louvre
Nymph of Fontainebleau, Paris — annually
460+
Years since he wrote his autobiography
Still the most vivid autobiography in existence
—
visitors to this website

He dedicated his life so his work would endure.
Five centuries later, you are proof it has.

Thank you for visiting.

04 — His Masterworks

My finest works

Perseus with the Head of Medusa — bronze sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini, Florence 1554
Perseus with the Head of Medusa
Bronze · 1554 · Florence
Saltcellar of Francis I — gold and enamel masterpiece by Benvenuto Cellini, 1543
Saltcellar of Francis I
Gold & Enamel · 1543 · Vienna
Bust of Cosimo I de Medici — bronze portrait by Benvenuto Cellini, Florence 1548
Bust of Cosimo I de’ Medici
Bronze · 1548 · Florence
Nymph of Fontainebleau — bronze relief by Benvenuto Cellini, Paris 1543
Nymph of Fontainebleau
Bronze Relief · 1543 · Paris
04 — On His Art
“When the bronze flowed into the mould and I saw that the figure was taking form, I wept — for it was the most beautiful thing I had ever done.”

On the casting of Perseus  ·  1545

Get the Book

Own it.
Read it.

Available now on Amazon. The complete autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini in modern English — raw, unfiltered, and exactly as he intended.

Buy on Amazon

celliniautobiography.com