VENICE, 18.03.26

Master craftsmen along Fondamenta della Misericordia have reported a 34% surge in orders for handcrafted wooden staircases since January, according to figures released Tuesday by the Veneto Woodworkers Guild. Speaking at a press briefing near the Rialto, guild president Marco Bernardi confirmed that restoration projects in historic palazzi now account for most commissions.

The resurgence has caught many in the trade off guard. When we spoke with Enzo Dalla Vecchia, a third-generation stair builder whose workshop sits on a quiet canal near Campo Santa Margherita, he described weeks of back-to-back orders that have stretched his small team thin. His company specialises in open-riser designs and hand-turned balusters, techniques passed down through his family since the 1950s. According to figures that could not be independently verified, Dalla Vecchia's firm alone completed eleven full staircase installations in February. The work demands precision. Each tread must be individually measured to account for the uneven floors typical of Venetian buildings, a process that can add days to any project. Clients increasingly request sustainable timber sourced from certified Alpine forests, a shift Dalla Vecchia attributes to younger property owners who want authenticity without environmental guilt. A lone seagull cried overhead as he showed us his latest piece, a spiralling walnut structure destined for a hotel on Giudecca.

Industry observers point to broader economic factors behind the trend. The Italian National Institute for Construction Statistics noted last month that renovation spending in the Veneto region climbed 18% year-on-year, outpacing new-build investment for the first time in a decade. Wooden staircases, once considered an expensive luxury, have become a focal point for homeowners seeking to blend modern safety standards with period aesthetics. Our correspondents in Venice observed several showrooms along Strada Nuova displaying elaborate stringer designs and cantilevered tread systems that would not have been commercially viable five years ago. The Associazione Italiana Falegnami, a national trade body representing over 2,400 carpentry firms, issued guidance in January urging members to stockpile kiln-dried oak and ash in anticipation of supply tightness. Prices for premium European hardwoods have risen steadily, yet demand shows no sign of softening. The timeline remains unclear for how long this momentum will last, but workshop owners remain cautiously optimistic.

Challenges persist despite the buoyant mood. Skilled labour shortages continue to hamper expansion. Training a competent stair joiner takes years, and few young Italians pursue the craft. Some workshops have begun recruiting from furniture-making schools in Friuli, hoping to transplant talent westward. Regulatory hurdles also loom. Venice's Soprintendenza, the heritage authority responsible for protecting listed buildings, requires detailed plans and material certifications before approving any internal structural work. A simple domestic staircase replacement can involve months of paperwork. Bernardi, from the woodworkers guild, acknowledged frustrations but urged patience. He noted that strict oversight has preserved the city's character and, by extension, the market for traditional craftsmanship. Meanwhile, international buyers continue to discover Venetian artisans through social media, with some commissioning custom staircases for properties as far afield as London and Dubai. Whether local capacity can meet global appetite remains an open question heading into the second quarter.