Napoleone Martinuzzi Biography
Napoleone Martinuzzi (Murano, 31 May 1892 – Venice, 15 May 1977) was an Italian sculptor, artist and glass entrepreneur. Son of Giovanni and Amalia Fuga, both members of families of master glassmakers, he studied music, sculpture, ceramics and goldsmithing at the Academy of Venice and Rome. Favorite of Gabriele D'Annunzio, he executed several works for the Pope starting from 1917 and also designed a Mausoleum, which was never built. From 1922 to 1931 he directed the Murano Glass Museum. He collaborated with Paolo Venini until 1932 when he founded Vetri Artistici e Mosaici Zecchin Martinuzzi with Vittorio Zecchin, whose aim was the creation of extremely refined glass, with a remarkable plastic effect. He participated in the Venice Biennials of 1932 and 1934 and at the V Milan Triennale in 1933, exhibiting artistic glass objects created by the new company. After 1936 he dedicated himself exclusively to the activity of a sculptor. In Veneto Martinuzzi created sculptures intended for public places and in particular for churches: Monument to the fallen in Murano (1928) sculptures for the Giardini bridge in Venice, created by Duilio Torres (1936) terracotta bust of Tintoretto at the church of the Madonna dell 'Orto in Venice (1937) copy of the stone statue of Saint Anthony on the facade of the Basilica del Santo in Padua (1940) bronze group for the baptistery of the Mestre cathedral (1960). Martinuzzi also created in Grosseto the sculptural complex placed on the facade of the monumental Palazzo delle Poste by Angiolo Mazzoni and the statue of Saint Christopher kept in the atrium of the same building and in Ferrara the statue of Saint George on one of the facades of the Palazzo delle Poste.
