Napoleone Martinuzzi
(Murano, 1892 – Venezia, 1977)
Born on May 31, 1892, in Murano.
Napoleone Martinuzzi was trained at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice. Gabriele D’Annunzio’s favourite, he started creating several works for the latter in 1917.
Active as a sculptor in Rome at the beginning of the 20th century, he came back to Murano in 1925 to found the Vetri Soffiati Muranese Venini and Company, along with Paolo Venini and Francesco Zecchin. In this company, Martinuzzi was the art director. In 1932, he left the firm and founded the Zecchin Martinuzzi Vetri Artistici e Mosaici along with Francesco Zecchin. Between 1951–52, he became the designer for Arte Vetro di Alberto Seguso. He is still considered one of the finest Murano glass designers of all time. Martinuzzi died on May 15, 1977, in Venice.