James Benfatti was a 14th-century Italian Dominican friar who served as the Bishop of Mantua. Born into a noble family in Mantua during the mid-1200s, he pursued advanced theological studies at the University of Paris, eventually earning a doctorate. After joining the Order of Preachers, he rose to prominence through his close friendship with Cardinal Niccolò Boccasini, who later became Pope Benedict XI. Known as the "Father of the Poor," he was highly regarded by multiple popes for his character and his dedicated service to the sick during plague outbreaks.