FontanaArte was founded in Milan in 1932, originating in an encounter between Gio Ponti (the great 20th-century maestro of Italian architecture), Luigi Fontana (entrepreneur of sheet glass) and Pietro Chiesa (a master glass artisan). FontanaArte accompanied Italy's exploration of modernity, where glass and metal expressed a new idea of beauty infused with light and transparency. The history of FontanaArte is distinguished by lamps and every type of object that brought light into the inhabited space. This timeless mission has been passed down from icon to new product, a generations’ link. It was Ponti's idea to add the word Arte ("art" in Italian) to the new section of Luigi Fontana & C., the original company. Still now art remains the key to a brand identity that exists over and above each single serially produced object. The visions expressed during the artistic direction of Gio Ponti and Pietro Chiesa, of Max Ingrand and of Gae Aulenti are embodied in the contributions of many designers who interpreted their times, participating in the construction of the FontanaArte identity over more than 80 years. The company's new artistic director Francesco Librizzi is committed to reimagining FontanaArte in dialogue with the masters and tradition of beautiful Italian design. He is working on the meeting point between contemporaneity and historical interpretation, between technological innovation and clarity of expression, all in the name of exploring the possibilities of timeless beauty. Since 2016, FontanaArte has been part of ItalianCreationGroup, that includes brands like Driade, Valcucine and Toscoquattro. FontanaArte is in Altagamma, the Foundation which gathers high-end Italian cultural and creative companies.
