The faces decorating Ragusa’s Palazzo Bertini send a message. The palace, built in the late 18th century in the style of the Late Sicilian Baroque, sits on Corso Italia leading to the old, aristocratic Ragusa Ibla from the new, up-and-coming city of Ragusa–in other words, the avenue between old money and new. The three faces on the facade of Palazzo Bertini (pictured) personify different shades of power. On the left, the pauper: He who has nothing to lose. In the center, the aristocrat: He who has the power to do anything–if even illegal and corrupt. On the right, the merchant: He who, thanks to the money he’s earned, has mobility.
It’s no mistake. The artisans who created these stone images, certainly with the endorsement of the villa’s owner, were commenting on class and society.
With whom do you relate?