The Antique Style Furniture Industry in the Bassa Veronese

The "distretto del mobile in stile" in the lowlands of Verona refers to an area that takes in about twenty towns located in the southern part of the Verona hinterland, between Mantova and Rovigo. The important historic towns in the area are Cerea, Bovolone and Casaleone. It is in these towns that the antique style furniture industry has found fertile ground to prosper. About 70% of companies in this area are directly involved in the furniture industry.

Origins

The production of furniture in an area which for centuries had been agriculturally based, came about through a few local craftsmen and furniture restorers at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was Giuseppe Merlin from Asparetto, a tiny hamlet on the outskirts of Cerea, who created the first "workshop". However we would have to wait until after World War II to see a flourishing furniture industry extending to other towns in the area.

There is some speculation as to how the industry originated and how it experienced such rapid growth. It is said that the first entrepreneurs of this budding industry had ample sources to draw from, since it was quite a common activity to restore old furniture, as it could be easily found in farm houses and dwellings in the area.

The first workshops were set up by furniture restorers who restored antique furniture. This was soon transformed into industrial production, whereby, only those antique pieces which were most in demand were then reproduced (Fratino style, eighteenth century pieces, Maggiolini XIX century style, Victorian style, Art Nouveau, etc.). At the same time prices were kept competitive. The success and prosperity the district enjoyed is probably due to the availability on the market, of such a variety of styles of furniture at affordable prices.

Developments

Between 1960 and 1970 the antique furniture reproduction industry reached high enough levels, to become the principle source of employment and income for those living in the area reaching its peak in the 1980s. One factor that determined the growth of this industry was the fact that there were few barriers to setting up this kind of business (especially due to fact that it didn't require a high capital investment). It was a business that promised good prospects for growth and high profit margins; another important factor was the ample availability of a labour force who had recently been expulsed from agriculture due to increasing mechanization. This labour force could soon learn the "tricks" of this new trade easily, quickly and sufficiently enough to set up their own businesses. All these were key factors in determining the success of the industry.

The growth of the furniture industry in the Bassa Veronese was mainly due a boom in small sized companies start ups. They were "independent enterprises" in themselves, having the technology and know-how to carry out all stages of the production even if on a small scale.

The small is good business model continued to dominate and over time needed to create some kind of system to promote local skills in this sector. A very important step was made by the Veneto local authority who in April 1995 gave official approval for a brand name entitled Marchio del Mobile d'Arte in Stile della Pianura Veronese (Antique Style Furniture from the Veronese lowlands); this brand name which soon became an invaluable marketing and promotional tool, could offer the consumer the guarantee that the furniture was of quality and was produced in the Verona lowlands area.