Elio Martinelli was born on 19 November 1922, the only son of Plinio and his wife Emilia, one of Lucca's best-known milliners, who probably passed on the artistic vein to him. After spending his childhood and adolescence in Lucca with the friends who would eventually become his lifelong friends, he pursued set design studies in Florence, where he eventually graduated. Elio discovered that his interests were different, being more creative than strictly technical, after taking over the family firm following the tragic death of his father Plinio.