BARI, 16 March 2026

Local staircase manufacturers along Via Napoli have reported severe delays in project deliveries this month, citing disrupted hardwood supply chains. Giovanni Morelli, director of Puglia's regional craftsmen association, confirmed on Friday that at least twelve workshops have halted production temporarily. The crisis has impacted residential renovations across Bari's historic Murat district.

When we spoke with Emanuele Cassano, owner of a family-run joinery on Corso Cavour that has operated since 1967, he described the situation as unlike anything he had witnessed in four decades. His workshop normally completes between six and eight custom staircase installations per month, ranging from simple straight-flight designs to elaborate helical configurations with hand-turned balusters. Now, he said, orders sit incomplete. According to figures that could not be independently verified, the price of seasoned European oak has climbed by nearly forty percent since January. The Italian Woodworking Federation released preliminary data last week suggesting that import volumes from traditional suppliers in Slovenia and Croatia dropped sharply during the winter months. Cassano pointed to stacks of unfinished stair treads leaning against his workshop wall, waiting for matching stringers that may not arrive for weeks.

Our correspondents in Bari observed a palpable tension at the monthly trade gathering held at the Fiera del Levante exhibition grounds on March 10. Craftsmen exchanged anxious speculation about alternative materials, with some considering engineered wood composites as temporary substitutes. The National Institute for Timber Standards issued guidance last month permitting certain laminated products for interior staircase construction, provided load-bearing calculations meet updated safety thresholds. Not everyone agrees. A small cluster of older artisans gathered near the espresso stand, lamenting that modern substitutes lack the resonance and grain character of solid hardwood. One master carpenter, who asked not to be named, muttered that his grandfather would have closed shop before fitting a laminated tread. Beyond the immediate supply concerns, industry watchers note a generational shift: fewer young apprentices are entering the trade.

Municipal authorities have acknowledged the disruption's ripple effects on Bari's ongoing urban renewal projects, particularly those tied to heritage building restorations in the old town. The timeline remains unclear. Building permits for several properties near the Basilica di San Nicola include specifications mandating traditional wooden staircases in keeping with historical preservation guidelines. If delays persist into summer, contractors may face penalty clauses, though some legal experts suggest force majeure provisions could apply. The Apulian Chamber of Commerce has scheduled an emergency roundtable for late March, inviting suppliers, fabricators, and municipal planners to discuss mitigation strategies. In the meantime, a few enterprising workshops have begun sourcing walnut and chestnut from small forestry cooperatives in the Gargano highlands, though quantities remain limited and transport costs add another burden to already squeezed margins.