Martinelli Luce

Martinelli Luce is an Italian family business that represents more than 60 years of history in modern lighting design. The brand was established in 1950 by Elio Martinelli, who dedicated most of his career to developing innovative and beautiful lighting systems and lamps for both public settings and the home.

In collaboration with several renowned designers such as Paola Navone and Gae Aulenti, Martinelli Luce has introduced several products that have become true design icons in the industry. The range includes Cobra, Ruspa, Foglia, Fluida and Pipistrello, to name but a few of the products that have contributed to the company’s great success. The lamps have also received numerous awards and honors such as the ADI Design Index, “Menzione d’Onore” from Compasso d’Oro, the Product Design Award, and others.

Modern design icons from an Italian family brand

The Italian brand Martinelli Luce was established in 1950 by designer Elio Martinelli and produced exclusive lamps. Elio Martinelli had been working in lighting design for many years before, working for his father’s company, Plinio, where he had the opportunity to work in lamp production. Martinelli developed a strong desire to produce his own lighting systems and lamps, and established the Martinelli Luce company in his hometown of Lucca, Italy, in 1922.

Initially, Martinelli focused on creating lamps and technically advanced systems for official environments, which he wanted to enrich with functional lighting without sacrificing beautiful design. He created lamps and entire systems for restaurants, bars, shops, and hotels. The Martinelli Luce company and its production grew and, enjoying increasing popularity in the market, he expanded the range to include designing lamps for the home.

Over the years, Martinelli Luce has collaborated with several renowned designers such as Paola Navone, Gae Aulenti, Marc Sadler. The range included several products that have become modern classics, and iconic in lighting design. The Pipistrello and Ruspa table lamps by Gae Aulenti from 1965 and 1986 respectively, the Cobra by Emiliana, and Elio Martinelli from 1968 as well as the beautiful Bubbles pendant lamp from 1973 by Emiliana Martinelli, to name but a few. Elio Martinelli ran and worked in the family business with great passion until his death in 2004. Emilana Martinelli took over and managed the business for many years and, together with her son Marco Martinelli, they continued to run the family business in the same spirit but added new technological innovations to the production, continuing to create beautiful lighting designs.