The Story of Giovannetti
An Icon of Italian Design
Sante Monachesi, Benito Giovannetti, Nicola Maria Martino
WE ARE PART OF HISTORY
"BACK THEN, FOR US, THE FUN WAS IN THINKING ABOUT BEAUTY"
Born in the revolutionary 1960s, Giovannetti became part of the history of Made in Italy furniture with its iconic and timeless design. From the very beginning, experimenting and surprising became Benito Giovannetti’s calling, as he launched the first productions in collaboration with the great masters of Italian design. Already in the leading works of that period, from Bauhaus to Bazaar, the nonconformist spirit that would make the brand internationally recognizable began to emerge, eventually leading to the breakout success of the 1970s: from an idea by Benito Giovannetti and designed together with his collaborator Alessandro Becchi, Anfibio was born, the “sofa-work of art,” included in the collection of the MoMA in New York since 1972. From the 1980s to the present day, Giovannetti has continued to create innovative, original, and functional furnishing pieces: a vision capable of combining aesthetic research with contemporary refinement.
Radical Architecture
Our collaboration with the Florentine group Superstudio represents a key element that opened the experimental artistic movement of Radical Architecture.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Nature in a pop key Lighthearted irony The fascination of myths inspired an eclectic and functional furnishing style
COLLABORATIONS AND APPEARANCES
The Giovannetti brand has always enjoyed great visibility thanks to advertising campaigns and numerous articles in the Italian and international press. The vibrancy of its products has led to appearances in many television programs, both on Rai and Mediaset, which over time became regular clients, as well as in films and TV series such as Son tornate a fiorire le rose and Via Zanardi, 33.
ASSOCIATIONS
Thanks to his sensitivity and managerial skills, Cav. Benito Giovannetti held important positions for years within Assarredo, as a specialist member of Confindustria at national executive level. The desire to discuss, compare ideas, and analyze the various stages of generational change led the company to create a consortium first with its own suppliers, called Italprogetti; later, together with ICE (the Italian Trade Agency) and other companies such as Unifor, Skema, Leucos, Origlia, and Skipper, it established the Italcenter consortium in Chicago, with a continuous and long-term exhibition space of 1,150 square meters inside the prestigious Merchandise Mart, designed by Lella and Massimo Vignelli.
EDUCATION AND UNIVERSITY
Giovannetti Collezioni was invited by several Chambers of Commerce to lead training seminars for the furniture distribution sector in Parma, Pescara, Venice, and Rome. Benito Giovannetti himself gave monographic courses on design both in Florence and in Calenzano at the Faculty of Architecture and Design. These relationships led to many students being welcomed into the company as interns, and many degree theses were dedicated to Giovannetti and its history. Always attentive to supporting young talent, the company promotes contests and awards dedicated to the most deserving design projects, with the aim of strengthening ties between universities and businesses and offering designers a stimulating environment.
A LONG HISTORY OF SUCCESS
Giovannetti in numbers
AWARDS
- Compasso d’Oro – Anfibio, 1972
- Young & Design Gold Medal – Gabbiano, 2003
- Young & Design Special Mention – Flower, 2004
- Young & Design Special Mention – Dune, 2005
- Young & Design Special Mention – Wave, 2006
- First Prize “Abitare il Mare” – furnishing of a luxury cabin on a cruise ship, 2006
INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIRS
Since its foundation, Giovannetti Collezioni has participated with its models in the International Trade Fairs of Turin (Eurodomus), Milan, Paris, Cologne, Moscow, Seoul, Tokyo, Chicago, Malmö, Valencia, London, Dubai, Warsaw, Bari, and Copenhagen. Invited to Milan for the fortieth anniversary of the birth of Anfibio, the Ministry and the University wanted the company to exhibit at Brera, in the prestigious Sala Napoleonica. Since 2000, two furnishings, Papillon and Anfibio, have been part of the permanent collection of the Triennale di Milano.