From Punta Secca to Ragusa Ibla, passing through Scicli, Modica and Sampieri: here are all the places where Inspector Montalbano's fiction was set.
Land of poets, writers and artists, over the years (but perhaps centuries!) theSicilyit has been the favorite setting for books, stories and films of all sorts. Among these, the figure of Salvo Montalbano undoubtedly stands out, the famous Commissioner who came out of the pen ofAndrea Camilleriand became the very lucky protagonist of aRai1 TV series.
But what are the places of Inspector Salvo Montalbano? And how is it possible to reach them to create an itinerary in his footsteps?
WHERE IS VIGATA
All of Commissioner Salvo Montalbano's investigations revolve around what Camilleri calls Vigata, in the imaginary province of Montelusa. In reality it corresponds to Porto Empedocle (a stone's throw from the famousScale of the Turks), in the province of Agrigento. Most of the scenarios in the fiction, however, do not correspond to Agrigento but to various locations located between Ragusa andRagusa Ibla.
HOW TO GET TO THE PLACES OF INSPECTOR MONTALBANO
If you are thinking of organizing a weekend or a trip to the places of Inspector Montalbano, keep in mind that to reach Ragusa (or more generally the southern areas of Sicily) you will have several solutions available:
- Air connections: the closest airports areComiso, Catania and Palermo. Once on site, the advice is to rent a car and get around freely.
- Connections by sea: there are several shipping companies that make connections to Sicily and that allow you to easily reach southern areas such asPort Empedocles or Pozzallo(the closest to Ragusa eAgrigento). You can choose according to your needsall ferries from Reggio Calabria to Sicilyand choose the one that suits you best. In some cases it is also possible to ferry by car, possibly the advice is to rent a vehicle once you arrive on site.
- Train: land connections in the center of Sicily arenot recommendedas most areas are not served by railways.
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THE PLACES OF INSPECTOR MONTALBANO
Once the way to reach the province ofRagusa, all you have to do is draw a small map of Inspector Montalbano's places and follow his footsteps meticulously.
Montalbano's House (Punta Secca)
The famous house of Inspector Montalbano, with a terrace overlooking the sea and a very white beach at its feet, is located in Punta Secca, a fraction of the municipality ofHoly Cross of Camerina, in the province of Ragusa. The villa, white and with green shutters, is located a few steps from theScalambri Tower and from Punta Secca Lighthouse.
The Vigata Police Station (Scicli)
In the Rai1 fiction, Salvo Montalbano's office, as well as those of Mimì, Fazio and Catarella, are located inside theScicli Town Hall, in the province of Ragusa. The desk behind which the commissioner Luca Bonetti Alderighi sits is none other than theMayor's roomof the baroque municipality which has become, for its beauty, a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The stairway of Vigata (Ragusa Ibla)
As stated by Camilleri himself, the imaginary Vigata corresponds to AgrigentoPort Empedocles. Yet, in the Rai1 television drama, many locations have been borrowed from Ragusa Ibla, the oldest part of the city. Examples are theCathedral of San Giorgio(Central Church of Vigata), theConversation Circle(place where the doctor Pasquano usually plays cards) and theChurch of San Giuseppe(he represented the Vigata police station in the last few episodes of the series).
Trattoria Calogero (Ragusa Ibla)
Trattoria Calogero also stands out among the characteristic places of Inspector Montalbano, the place where Salvo goes to look for his favorite dishes. It is located in Ragusa Ibla and, specifically, corresponds toLa Rusticana restaurant.
The house of boss Balduccio Sinagra (Donnafugata)
The Donnafugata Castle, in the province of Ragusa, was chosen as the television scenario for the house of boss Balduccio Sinagra. It is a beautiful 19th century noble residence built in perfect neo-Gothic style. Inside, in addition to the gardens and the 8-hectare park, there is also a labyrinth!
Le Mannara (Sampieri)
Do you know the factory around which the episode of "The shape of water" revolves? Well, that famous Mannara is located in Sampieri, inlocality Pisciotto, in the Ragusa area. It is a former brick factory destroyed in 1924 by arson and located facing the sea.
The house of Pasquano, the coroner (Modica)
Also beautiful and baroqueModicait was the location for some scenes of the Rai1 fiction. In particular, those of the staircase leading to the house of the coroner Pasquano and those of theCathedral of San Giorgio(where a chase of the “Trip to Tindari” takes place).
THE OTHER PLACES OF INSPECTOR MONTALBANO
Beyond the province of Ragusa, there are many Sicilian places that have been the setting for some scenes of the episodes of the Inspector Montalbano series. Among these stand out:
Noto (Syracuse)
It's here in theConvent of San Tommaso, which was set in the prison of Vigata. The place is close to beautifulOrtygia, the island within the island of Syracuse.
Tindari (Messina)
The small oneTindari, in the province ofMessina, is another of Inspector Montalbano's places and gives the title to the novel "The trip to Tindari". It is here that Salvo walks with Livia while behind them stands theSanctuary of the Black Madonna of Tindari.
Valley of the Temples (Agrigento)
It is in the Valley of the TemplesAgrigentothat the Commissioner meets Ingrid in the episode "As usual".
Brucoli (Augusta)
It is in the small Brucoli that a landing of migrants takes place.
Capo Passero (Syracuse)
The tuna trap of Capo Passero and the Castle of Portopalo represent some Syracusan locations of the fiction.
Marzamemi (Syracuse)
The picturesque Sicilian village is the setting for some shots of the episode of "La Forma dell'Acqua".
San Vito Lo Capo (Trapani)
In the "Caribbean of Sicily" (as it is calledSan Vito Lo Capo) some scenes of the “Giro di Boa” were shot, between the Chapel of Santa Crescenza and theTonnara del Secco.
Favignana (Trapani)
Even the butterfly of the Egadi Islands (as it is calledFavignanadue to its shape) is part of the series of places of Inspector Montalbano. It is here, in fact, that some scenes of "The Sense of Touch" were filmed.
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Scopello (Trapani)
The tonnara of the very small hamlet of Scopello, a stone's throw fromZingaro Reserve, inspired some television scenes of "The sense of touch".
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