Italian librettist. Following his education at the seminary of the Somaschi fathers in his birthplace of Venice, he was a founder of the Accademia degli Animosi (1691) and the Giornale dei letterati d'Italia (1710). His first success as a librettist came in 1700 with Lucia Vero, set by C. F. Pollarolo and performed at the Teatro S. Giovanni Grisostomo in Venice. He later collaborated with Pietro Pariati. He worked as an administrator in Venice from 1711, and from 1718 until his retirement in 1729 he was "poeta e istorico di S. M. Cesarea" in Vienna; he was succeeded there by Metastasio. Zeno wrote about 70 librettos.