Elio Martinelli was an Italian lighting designer and founder of the Martinelli Luce lighting company. After studying set design in Florence, Martinelli returned to his hometown of Lucca, where he ended up working both as an interior designer and developing the lighting company founded by his father Plinio. While designing the interiors of shops, hotels and restaurants, Martinelli also began developing luminaires for his sites. In the 1950s, he decided to set up his own eponymous lighting company. Elio Martinelli often sought inspiration for his lamps from nature and simple geometric shapes. He was also fascinated by new materials and technologies, and Martinelli is known as one of the first designers to use plastic as a material for lamps.