Elio Martinelli and Martinelli Luce

50 years of company history and of Made in Italy design

A book rich in history, anecdotes, the behind-the-scenes of projects and lamps that have written part of the history of Italian Style, from post-war to the first decade of the third millennium. Three hundred twenty-eight pages that retrace the collaborations and the thoughts and ideas behind the creation of the company’s most iconic products. The biography, written by the founder’s daughter, Emiliana Martinelli – today at the helm of the company – is also a way to discover a different perspective of design trends from 1965 to today.
Elio Martinelli and Martinelli Luce
Talking about Elio
Cesare Casati:
"A man with a poetic and curious personality who was interested in every sort of cultural and experimental event that, in particular in the Sixties, was taking place in our Country.”
Marc Sadler:
"A legend in the world of design who used to give me a hand in finalizing a project: it was like a welcome embrace from a dear friend. Chapeau!”
Riccardo Benvenuti:
"De Chirico! For me, Elio Martinelli was the discovery of a person who never ceased to amaze: every new work of his bore the imprint of someone who came from far away and who allowed you to touch the future.”
Alfonso Femia:
"There are paths and experiences where man expresses himself at his best, or maybe where he reveals part of his soul, more through his creations than through his way of being. I met Elio by falling in love with some of his creations without knowing that they were creations by Elio Martinelli, without knowing who Martinelli Luce was.”
Extract