From June 17th to 22nd, Ragusa Ibla, a UNESCO World Heritage site, will host the 5th edition of the Festival Barocco & Neobarocco. Conceived and artistically directed by architect Roberto Semprini and organized by the Stupor Mundi Association, this year’s festival promises a captivating blend of history and contemporary vision.
The festival will transform some of Ragusa Ibla’s most stunning Baroque palaces, including Palazzo Nicastro, Palazzo Cosentini, Palazzo La Rocca, and the former Church of San Vincenzo Ferreri. Specially created for the event, the featured works will offer a contemporary reinterpretation of Baroque aesthetics through design, painting, photography, and fashion. Visitors can also look forward to seeing projects from students of Academies and Architecture Faculties, as well as Neobaroque creations by design companies collaborating with selected designers.
“Rebirth: Architecture and Urban Planning in Historic Centers”
The 2025 edition introduces a new section dedicated to architecture and urban planning, subtitled “Rebirth: Architecture and Urban Planning in Historic Centers.” This theme delves into the pivotal role of the past in shaping the future, specifically referencing the rebirth of Val di Noto after the devastating 1693 earthquake. This period of reconstruction and artistic flourishing saw the emergence of new cities and remarkable late-Baroque architecture.
Today, historic centers face challenges like depopulation and the decline of commercial activities. The festival aims to stimulate reflection on the role of urban planning—a synthesis of architecture and urbanism—in the regeneration of historic cities. A key focus will be the design of public spaces, recognized as a priority for urban revival.
In line with this vision, the 2025 festival will feature temporary installations in two strategic public axes: one in the historic center of Ibla and the other in Ragusa Superiore. Key locations will be identified to concentrate design choices, aiming for tangible impacts on urban regeneration. The exhibition will unfold along an urban route marked by these outdoor installations.
Exhibitions, Discussions, and Guests
Beyond showcasing Ragusa’s iconic locations, the exhibition will present a selection of completed projects from Italy and abroad that demonstrate successful public space requalification in similar contexts. It will also feature proposals from public administrations, thesis projects, workshops, public bodies, and architects who have recently engaged with these themes.
From 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM daily, a stage set up in Piazza Pola in Ibla will host leading figures from the artistic and cultural landscape. They will offer original insights into the reinterpretation of the Baroque. Expected guests include Gilda Bojardi, director of Interni magazine; Cristina Morozzi, journalist and design critic; Giampaolo Nuvolari, professor of Environmental and Territorial Sociology; and renowned architects Carlo and Renzo Piano, among other prominent names in the creative world.
This festival is a must-attend for anyone passionate about the intersection of historical beauty and contemporary innovation.