Stilnovo 1950s Vintage Italian Chandelier with Vistosi Murano Glass Shade

Demonstrative of a unique marriage between artistry and technical excellence, Vistosi lighting fixtures were born from a rich Italian glassmaking tradition. The prolific glass manufacturer came to prominence after World War II for its modernist lighting designs, and today Vistosi is known for opulent chandeliers, lamps and sconces.

The history of Vistosi reaches as far back as 1640, when the Gazzabin family of Murano opened a furnace for producing Murano glass art. "Vistoso," which was originally a nickname, became part of the family's surname and eventually the name “Vistosi” was used to refer to the family’s glass creations.

Vistosi would be recognized by the glassmakers’ guild in Murano during the late 18th century — with Gio-Batta Vistosi becoming head of the guild — but Napoleon dissolved the Venetian state and closed the region’s glass factories by 1807. The modern iteration of the Vistosi company was founded in Murano in 1945 by Guglielmo Vistosi, a Gazzabin family heir.

During the 1950s, Vistosi's grandchildren, Gino and Luciano Vistosi, began specializing in lighting. In the 1960s and ‘70s, the company worked with renowned Italian furniture designers like Adalberto Dal Lago, Ettore Sottsass and Gae Aulenti. One of Vistosi's most famous collaborations was with Italian architect and designer Angelo Mangiarotti. In 1967, Mangiarotti designed a modular crystal-hook lighting system called Giogali that has enjoyed popularity and acclaim to this day.

In 1989, Vistosi was taken over by businessman Giancarlo Moretti, who had an extensive background in the lighting industry. Moretti's son, Matteo Moretti, reinvigorated the business with a series of new design collaborations in 1993. Some of the most notable partnerships included Chiaramonte and Marin, Mauro Olivieri and Michele De Lucchi.

Vistosi has participated in every Euroluce showcase since the lighting exhibition began in 1976. In 2005, the company won the ADI Design Index award for Mangiarotti's Giogali system. In 2007, Vistosi won the Eurispes award and participated in a Compasso d'Oro competition.

Today, Vistosi is still a leader in the lighting industry, shifting to LED and creating new types of lead-free crystal glass for its stunning range of lighting fixtures.

Find a collection of vintage Vistosi lighting and decorative objects on 1stDibs.

Though Bruno Gatta (1904–76) founded Stilnovo way back in 1946, it is still one of the most instantly recognizable names in lighting. Gatta began his business in Milan, and, like many European creatives designing furniture and decor in the wake of World War II, Stilnovo leaned toward the new wave of mass-market and streamlined styles. In fact, Stilnovo loosely translates to “new style” in Italian, and vintage Stilnovo lighting has endured as a practical choice for those looking to bring innovative and forward-thinking design into their homes.

Soon after Stilnovo was established, Gatta’s lighting fixtures were applauded throughout Europe for their novel industrial materials as well as their unique yet functional shapes. Italy in the 1950s was forming a completely revolutionized look, and Bruno Gatta and Stilnovo’s head designer, Angelo Gaetano Sciolari, helped shape it. When the 1960s arrived, Stilnovo was experiencing such a boom that the company opened a new production plant in Lainate. One of the brand’s most famous pieces, Giovanni Luigi Gorgoni’s quirky 1965 Buonanotte spherical table lamp, became a best seller.

Gatta partnered with some of the most well-known names in design, including Ettore Sottsass, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Joe Colombo and Gae Aulenti. Sottsass’s pieces for Stilnovo, including the 1977 Valigia four-legged table lamp, the 1968 Lampros chandelier and Manifesto ceiling light, and the Castiglionis’ 1957 Saliscendi pendant light fixtures are some of the brand’s most recognizable to date. In 1978, De Pas, D’Urbino and Lomazzi designed the Fante lamp with an adjustable reflector that playfully recalls a broad-brimmed hat.

Stilnovo’s designs, including Danilo and Corrado Aroldi’s flexible Periscope table lamp, were featured in the 1972 exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” at the Museum of Modern Art. While Stilnovo continued to operate with new designer collaborations after Gatta’s death, it closed its doors in 1988. Italian art director Massimo Anselmi acquired the company in 2012 and rereleased several of Stilnovo’s most celebrated pieces. Then in 2019, lighting giant Linea Light Group purchased Stilnovo and relaunched its classic designs with contemporary touches like LED lighting systems.

Find vintage Stilnovo chandeliers and pendants, wall lights, floor lamps and other fixtures and furniture on 1stDibs.