CATANIA, 17.03.26
Local woodworking firms in Catania have reported a 34 percent surge in orders for custom wooden staircases since January, according to data released Monday by the Sicilian Artisan Guild. Speaking outside his workshop on Via Etnea, master carpenter Enzo Cataldi confirmed that demand now outstrips his team's capacity by nearly six weeks.
The trend reflects broader shifts in residential construction across eastern Sicily, where homeowners increasingly favour traditional materials over prefabricated alternatives. Hardwood species such as chestnut and walnut, long prized for their durability and grain patterns, have become especially popular for open-riser designs and cantilevered treads. Our correspondents in Catania observed queues forming at timber merchants near the port district early last Tuesday, a sight not witnessed since the post-2020 renovation wave. Yet supply constraints persist. According to figures that could not be independently verified, imported European oak now accounts for roughly half of all stair-grade lumber used locally, a development that has prompted calls for greater investment in Sicilian forestry. The Istituto Nazionale del Legno, a Rome-based trade body, recently urged regional authorities to streamline permits for sustainable harvesting on Mount Etna's lower slopes.
When we spoke with Giulia Ferrara, a 28-year-old architect whose firm specialises in heritage conversions, she noted that clients often request balustrade profiles copied from 19th-century palazzi. Such commissions require skilled joiners capable of executing complex newel post carvings and precisely mitred handrails. Ferrara's latest project, a four-storey townhouse overlooking Piazza Stesicoro, features a sweeping spiral staircase fashioned from reclaimed elm. The timeline remains unclear. Labour shortages have delayed completion by at least three months, she admitted, though the client appears content to wait. Interestingly, some younger craftsmen have begun experimenting with CNC-assisted milling for repetitive components, blending digital precision with hand-finished surfaces. The Consorzio Artigiani Siciliani, a regional cooperative representing over 400 workshops, welcomed this hybrid approach in a statement last week.
Pricing pressures, however, continue to challenge smaller operators. Raw timber costs have climbed 18 percent year-on-year, according to the Osservatorio Prezzi Edilizia, squeezing margins for independent carpenters who lack bulk-purchasing power. A single flight of solid-wood stairs with lacquered risers can now exceed €9,000, double the 2021 average. Still, enthusiasm persists. Catania's annual Fiera del Mobile, scheduled for late April, will dedicate an entire pavilion to staircase design for the first time in its 47-year history. Event organisers expect upwards of 12,000 visitors over three days. Mount Etna loomed quietly through the workshop windows as Cataldi returned to his bench, shaping a walnut tread with a hand plane.