Argenterie Finzi Biography
Arrigo Finzi was born in La Spezia in 1890. In 1904, his family moved to Milan, where Arrigo studied accounting and began working as a traveling salesman for a company specializing in sacred furnishings, an experience that allowed him to familiarize himself with his future field of activity.
Despite not having grown up in a family of artists and not having acquired great experience in the sector, Arrigo nevertheless decided to open his first workshop in via Carmagnola 14 in Milan and in 1909 presented the relevant project to the municipal office. In this period, a fundamental meeting took place with Antonio Sant'Elia, member of the Futurist Movement and building designer at the technical office of the Municipality of Milan. Their friendship intensifies and Finzi decides to make use of Sant'Elia's ideas to produce "modern" silversmith products, characterized by new and essential lines, which contrast with the "Liberty" style widespread in production between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
On 1 May 1919, together with Edoardo Princi, Arrigo founded Arrigo Finzi & C., based in Milan in via Caminadella 14, which was dedicated to the production of silver, silver-plated metal and luxury art objects. The first pieces, inspired by Sant'Elia's designs, did not achieve commercial success and, on 13 October of the same year, the company transformed into Società Anonima Arrigo Finzi & C. The affirmation on the national and international market took place between 1919 and 1922, with a more traditional production that better suited the public's taste, characterized by objects ranging from Empire to Liberty style.
In 1925 (30 March), Finzi inaugurated the new modern factory in via Termopili 8, also in Milan, and in 1926 the catalog of the Società Anonima Arrigo Finzi & C was published. Due to the crisis of 1929, Finzi diversified production by creating objects combining copper and silver, or using silver to encrust and encapsulate porcelain, Bohemian crystal and Murano glass. On 1 April 1948, Finzi closed Le Argenterie d'Italia and opened a shop-workshop in Milan in via Asole 4, maintaining the shops in Turin and Rome. Arrigo Finzi died in Milan on 6 January 1973.
