In the second half of the 18th century, in Trentino-Alto Adige – as in many other parts of Italy, especially rural areas – beeswax candles, along with oil lamps, were the primary source of both public and domestic lighting. A fundamental part of the daily (or rather, nightly) life of families and communities that were born and grew up around churches, the first places of concrete, cultural and spiritual aggregation. Places where “illumination” is at home in every sense.
The village of Roncone, in the Val del Chiese, at that time was little more than a hamlet of a few hundred inhabitants. Among them was Stefano Giovanelli, a pharmacist and apothecary – a role more than just a profession – who maintained beehives to produce propolis, balms, and other remedies and medicines derived from the bees’ work. Stefano himself realised that he could use the wax produced in those hives to meet the demand for light, first in Val del Chiese, then in Tione, Val Rendena and the nearby valleys. From these origins comes the nickname “Spezièr“, which still accompanies the family to this day.
Giuseppe was an enterprising craftsman: in the early 1900s, he moved to nearby Tione, where – in what remains the company’s headquarters to this day – he developed new methods for wax purification and introduced increasingly advanced machinery for candle production.
The “giostra” (“carousel”), a manually operated machine, is still used today for the production of dipped candles and Easter paschal candles of high artisanal value.
The candleworks suspended its activity during both World Wars, resuming each time and, generation after generation, carrying its legacy into the present – a story in which the candle has transformed, becoming at once a symbol and a design object.
Today, it is Antonio Giovanelli who leads the artisan workshop and oversees production, guiding it through a modern world where, like a prism, the light of ancient candles multiplies into a variety of contemporary forms and uses – all without ever losing its symbolism, nor sacrificing the traditional quality of paraffin and cotton, or the craftsmanship passed down through generations.
After moving to Tione di Trento, the candleworks has never changed its location.
Retracing its history and the story of its renovations offers a glimpse into the life of a region and a craft that continues to evolve without ever letting go of its deeply rooted traditions.
Today, the same premises also house a showroom and shop for the direct sale of all Cereria Giovanelli products, surrounded by awards, historical documents, photographs, and testimonies of a history spanning over 240 years.
Like a candle that never burns out, the passion for a craft with an artisanal soul is renewed over time. Experience has been complemented by enthusiasm for the present and technology, expanding the workshop with a department capable of handling large production volumes.
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