Fratelli Schiavone
Artisanal mastery and contemporary vision

Tonia and Riccardo Schiavone's interview, owners.

Can you briefly introduce us your company and your production?
Schiavone, Design for Inner Harmony: artisanal mastery and a contemporary vision. Founded in the 1950s as a woodworking workshop, the Schiavone company is today a leading production center in Italy and internationally in the field of furnishings for places of worship. Our identity is built on a perfect balance: on the one hand, ancient cabinetmaking techniques—such as finger joints and dovetail joints—and on the other, state-of-the-art CNC machining and automated finishing systems. We create pews, confessionals, sacristies, and furnishing accessories, overseeing the entire production cycle and offering tailor-made solutions born from the combination of manual craftsmanship and industrial precision:

● In-house design: A team of experts follows every phase, from concept to prototype.
● Certified quality: We use certified and sustainable materials and rigorous control processes (Design Analysis) to ensure durability and comfort.
● On-site installation: We directly manage on-site installation, respecting the client’s needs and the sacredness of the spaces.

How do you assess the current situation and future prospects of the Italian market for religious articles?
We assess the current situation with informed optimism. The market has moved away from seeking the simple “object” and toward the creation of “liturgical environments.” Today, as demonstrated by the theme of Devotio 2026, we are no longer speaking only about furnishings, but about cultural assets that must nourish faith through beauty and harmony. For Fratelli Schiavone, this translates into four pillars, which we see as dominant in the current and future market:

1. The Return to Honest Materials: We note a growing demand for authentic materials. In 2026, the trend is moving beyond cold minimalism in favor of warm, natural woods. Clients are seeking tactile surfaces and harmonious forms that foster recollection and inner well-being.
2. Sustainability as a Spiritual Value: The future outlook is inextricably linked to ecology. This is not only about certifications, but about an “Eco-Liturgy.” Designing furnishings that last for centuries, are repairable, and are produced using low-impact processes (such as our next-generation automated finishing system) is today an ethical imperative as well as a market requirement.
3. The Hybrid Model (Craftsmanship + Technology): The international market now looks to Made in Italy not only for decoration, but for technical precision. The future challenge—already embraced by Schiavone—is knowing how to combine hand-crafted dovetail joints with the millimetric precision of CAD software and CNC machining centers.
4. Focus on “Made-to-Measure”: We believe that market prospects point toward an ever-greater shift from “quantity” to “quality,” with the future increasingly centered on customized projects. Every community has unique needs, and Schiavone’s production flexibility is already our winning response. In summary, we see a market that is increasingly polarizing toward high quality. The future belongs to those who can transform places of worship into spaces of inner harmony, capable of engaging with contemporary times without losing their connection to artisanal tradition, where it exists.

The fifth edition of Devotio is approaching. What do you expect from this fair?
With around 230 exhibitors from more than 17 countries, expectations are set on a global market that looks to Italy as a benchmark for excellence. It will be the moment when dioceses and parishes plan renovation projects for the next three-year period. In terms of international networking, the fair strengthens its role as a “think tank” through the Devotio Lab, where architects and designers will come together to discuss how to refunctionalize sacred spaces. Strong interest is expected in flexible furnishing solutions that allow churches to host different types of events and communities. It will not be just a commercial fair, but a visual experience with dedicated exhibitions and focused round tables. At this fair, we hope that attentive eyes and sensitive perspectives will once again recognize the affirmation of authorial design in the sacred sector, which Fratelli Schiavone has long introduced through works with a distinctly contemporary outlook, imbued with the aesthetic and constructive nobility of a bygone era. For us, it is an important and prestigious opportunity to show how technology can serve the “custody of beauty.”

Will you be presenting anything new at “Devotio 2026”? What might that be?
We will certainly be presenting new products: two collections, the Nexus Collection and the Lambda Chair Collection. Devotio 2026 represents the ideal stage for us to present the results of an intense research and development process. This year, we are focusing entirely on integral sustainability and harmony of form. Nexus Collection: this is not merely a new line of furnishings, but a true paradigm shift. The Nexus concept was created to establish a deep connection between people and sacred space through an essential, modern design. The real revolution, however, lies “beneath the surface”: for this collection we have adopted a fully green approach, using certified woods and a water-based finishing cycle. This ensures healthier environments and reduced environmental impact, without sacrificing the perfect, silky finish that distinguishes our work. Lambda Chair Collection: an ergonomic chair with a modern design, presented in two complementary versions—the natural oak version, which enhances the purity and grain of the raw material, and the lacquered version, designed for contemporary architectural contexts that require a bolder and more distinctive chromatic statement. These innovations testify to our mission: to demonstrate that it is possible to pursue liturgical innovation while respecting the environment and honoring artisanal tradition.

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