Carlos Javier Benielli

Who is Carlos Javier Benielli?

Carlos Javier Benielli was an Argentine writer, poet and educator. He penned the lyrics for marches and hymns that are dedicated to famous figures from Argentinian history, many of which have become part of that nation's common cultural heritage.

Benielli studied teaching in Mendoza. In 1897, he became a professor at the Escuela Normal de Profesores "Mariano Acosta" in the Balvanera district of Buenos Aires. Later, he was posted to a teaching position in Venado Tuerto, Santa Fe Province. While there, he made friends with Cayetano Alberto Silva, a violinist and composer. As a result, in April 1907 he wrote the lyrics to the San Lorenzo March. This march, commemorates the Battle of San Lorenzo and memorializes the heroic actions of sergeant Juan Bautista Cabral. He also wrote lyrics for marches commemorating the battles of Tuyutí and Curupaytí and the Hymn to San Martín. He is also the author of a book; Menudencias Lingüísticas.

Benielli dedicated 43 years of his life to teaching. He was the founding director of Escuela 22, located at Calle Sánchez de Bustamante 260. In 1969, the school was named in his honor.