FontanaArte’s story began in Milan in 1881 as a company specializing in the production of glass sheets for architectural applications. Originally named Luigi Fontana & C., the company grew rapidly, becoming within just a few years an established manufacturer of furniture and a wide range of glass objects in the Art Nouveau style.

A turning point came in 1931, with the appointment of Gio Ponti and Pietro Chiesa as the company’s artistic directors. Under their leadership, some of FontanaArte’s most celebrated designs were created, including Bilia, an iconic table lamp, and the even more renowned 1932 coffee table. During the same period, the catalogue was further enriched with the Fontana curved table, the Cartoccio vase and the Luminator floor lamp.

Building on these successes, in 1933 Luigi Fontana established a new division within the company, named “FontanaArte”, specializing in the production of modern furniture with a Rationalist aesthetic. Chiesa continued to lead the division until 1948, when he was succeeded by Max Ingrand. It was Ingrand who steered the company away from an artisanal approach based on a limited number of numbered pieces towards full-scale serial production, transforming FontanaArte into a business with a global customer base.

This period saw the creation of some of FontanaArte’s bestsellers, including the Fontana table lamp and Gae Aulenti’s Giova. These two designs embody different yet complementary directions: one towards a “classical” form of modernism, the other towards more pronounced experimentation, exploring the possibilities of handcrafted glass.

Over the years, FontanaArte has brought together numerous other leading designers, including Renzo Piano, David Chipperfield, Franco Raggi, Paola Navone and many others. Their contributions have driven the steady expansion of the company’s catalogue and its entry into new international markets. In 2005, the company expanded into contract projects and subsequently became part of several holding groups, joining the Nevo Group in 2024, alongside Nemo Lighting, Reggiani, ILTI Luce and Driade.