GENOA, 18.03.26
Local craftsmen in Genoa's historic Maddalena district have reported a 34% surge in orders for bespoke wooden staircases since January, according to figures released Tuesday by the Ligurian Woodworkers Guild. Speaking outside his workshop on Via del Campo, master carpenter Aldo Ferretti confirmed his team now handles twelve residential commissions monthly.
The revival stems partly from renewed interest in period-appropriate renovations across the city's carrarese marble townhouses, where original hardwood balustrades and newel posts require skilled restoration. When we spoke with Giuliana Vercelli, a structural engineer overseeing three palazzo refurbishments near Piazza De Ferrari, she noted that homeowners increasingly reject prefabricated alternatives. They want authenticity. Vercelli explained that European oak sourced from certified Slovenian forests remains the preferred material, though chestnut from the Apennine foothills has gained traction for rustic interiors. According to figures that could not be independently verified, import costs for premium timber have risen by roughly 18% since late 2025, yet demand appears unaffected. A small brass plaque on one finished stringer she showed us bore the initials of a carpenter active in Genoa since 1987.
Our correspondents in Genoa observed a cluster of workshops along Via Prè where at least four family-run firms now specialise exclusively in stair treads, risers, and handrail profiles. The scent of freshly planed wood drifts into the narrow alley most mornings. Luca Montaldo, whose father founded Montaldo Legnami in 1962, said his order backlog stretches into September. He employs six apprentices trained through a vocational scheme funded by the Camera di Commercio di Genova. The scheme, launched in 2023, has graduated 41 young woodworkers so far. Montaldo himself spent two years studying joinery techniques in Bavaria before returning to manage the business. He insists that proper mortise-and-tenon joints outperform modern adhesives over decades of use, a claim echoed by heritage consultants advising Genoa's municipal planning office.
National housing data from Istituto Nazionale di Statistica Edilizia suggests that interior staircase installations across Liguria reached 4,200 units last year, up from 3,600 in 2024. Industry observers attribute part of this growth to tax incentives for energy-efficient home upgrades, which often include replacing metal or concrete steps with insulated timber alternatives. The timeline remains unclear for proposed EU regulations that would mandate traceability certificates for all imported hardwood used in construction. Meanwhile, Genoese architects report a stylistic shift: clients favour open-riser designs that allow light to pass through, rather than the solid enclosed structures common a decade ago. A ferry horn sounded across the old port as Ferretti paused mid-sentence, wiping sawdust from his apron before resuming his explanation of winder treads.