
Interview to Marco Capriello, “Edilizia e Territorio”, Sole24ore
Neapolitan restoration company Capriello Vincenzo Srl is growing thanks to the number of contracts signed lately. Nonetheless, even the strongest companies in the field of public works suffer the problems shown by the overall trends of niche markets such as Cultural Heritage.
Quoting Marco Capriello, Sole Administrator and Technical Director of Capriello Vincenzo Srl, «Problematic situations involve payment delay and tendering regulations forcing companies to compete with prices responsible for the incorrect evaluation of works only aiming at gaining new clients. Beside penalizing small and medium-sized enterprises having small financial and organizational structures this policy also undermines the whole monumental restoration field. Monumental recovery operations require careful and dedicated considerations, which are different from those typical of civil construction activities».
Another negative aspect involves relationships between banks and companies: «Unfortunately, banks not supporting enterprises (especially small and medium-sized ones) during tendering activities, impede them to express their huge potential, since despite their technical and organizational strengths small companies cannot afford many tenders at the same time».
Capriello Vincenzo Srl operates in the field of restorations since 1969 and lately won the competition related to the Ministry of Defence of Rome involving a budget of about 3.5 million for cleanings, restoration and recovery works of internal and external façades of Palazzo Baracchini and Caprara, via XX Settembre (offered price: 2.745 million).
Other works involved the Foligno Town Hall and the adjacent tower reconstructed after the 1997 earthquake and considered as the symbol of the city. Campania region sites involved the restoration of the Royal Palace of Naples, San Carlo Theatre and Villa Rosebery of Naples. Capriello Vincenzo Srl also restored Palazzo Vernazza (17th century) and Castles of Carlo V (16th century) and Acaya (16th century) of Lecce, the Theatre of Novoli and the still in progress Cloister of St. Chiara (15th century).
Medium-long-term objectives aim at consolidating the Company’s national leading position, contributing to reconstruct places damaged by the earthquake wreaking havoc on Abruzzo region in 1997.
«Our staff of professionals –concluded Capriello– is composed of four architects specialized in conservative restorations, two engineers specialized in monumental buildings recovery operations and three surveyors qualified for monumental buildings sites management».