If you are passionate about the stories of Commissioner Montalbano, this is definitely the tour for you!
The most devoted will have noticed that the places described in the books and those seen in the TV series do not always coincide. In fact the area of the Agrigento described in the novels was "poor" from the scenographic point of view and it is for this reason that the choice of the set fell on the enchanting landscapes of the province of Ragusa. It is here that Baroque architecture coexist, the dense vegetation of olive and carob trees and the typical dry stone walls.
In general, the fiction of Montalbano gravitates around Ragusa Ibla, Donnafugata, Puntasecca and Scicli.
The Montalbano tour is a must if you want to relive the events of the most beloved commissioner in Italy and beyond! You will lose yourself among nature, art, culture, cinematography, good food and wonderful sea views.
In the marvelous Ragusa Ibla, the places taken up in the fiction are the fascinating Iblean garden and the Corso 25 Aprile - where they meet: the commissioner's favorite trattoria, the Vigata police station (in Piazza Pola) and the square of Vigata (Piazza Duomo) where you will be fascinated by the wonderful Cathedral of San Giorgio.
In a vast expanse rich in carob and olive trees, instead, you will see the Donnafugata Castle: from its terrace you will appreciate a breathtaking view and, when you wander around the park, the different scenes of the fiction will resurface in your mind.
Where is Montalbano's house then? In the small fishing village of Punta Secca. In fact, Marinella is nothing but the beautiful village overlooking the Mediterranean, part of Santa Croce Camerina. Staying in the area, you can admire the characteristic lighthouse of Bourbon origin 37 meters high.
Last stop on the Montalbano tour is Scicli: here you can admire the Town Hall building (which gave the scene to the Quaestor of Montelusa's room) and Palazzo Iacono (where the scenes outside the Police Headquarters of Montelusa are shot).
Scicli is a town of refined culture, characterized by gullies and grottoes, by beds of torrents and the luxurious vegetation of gardens. Scicli maintains a harmonious relationship between man’s work and the natural environment. Destroyed in the Val di Noto earthquake and rebuilt in singular late Baroque forms it’s placed in a flat plan among three hills: San Matteo, Santa Croce and San Domenico hills.
It is also famous for being the location of the tv series Inspector Montalbano.
Our walk starts from Piazza Italia, framed by rows of eighteenth and nineteenth centuries buildings, where stands the present- day Mater Ecclesia: Sant’Ignazio. The façade, two levels surmounted by two pointed bell towers, is embellished with statues and a clock. Inside, the fascinating icon of Madonna delle Milizie, a statue inspired by the Madonna’s intervention in favor of the Christians and Normans during the battle against the Saracens in 1091.
From Piazza Italia, ascending along the canyon from which it takes its names, you arrive at the Church of San Bartolomeo. Statues and columns with capitals of various styles decorate the pyramidal façade. The one nave interior has marble altars, colored stuccoes and one of the most beautiful crèches in all of Sicily, with linden wood statues executed by Pietro Padula in 1773-1776. Retracing one’s step , along the same street toward via Mormino Penna, you reach Palazzo Beneventano, with its exceptionally expressive and monstrous masks under its balconies. In the hearth of the town there is via Mormino Penna, Scicli’s most beautiful street, rich in monastic churches and patrician buildings.
The first church you meet is San Giovanni Evangelista, with an oval layout and a concave convex façade in accordance with schemes deriving from Borromini. Annexed to a Benedictine monastery, which became the Town Hall in the 19th century, the church holds inside a Spanish canvas of the Cristo di Burgos, depicting a crucified Christ wearing a white sacerdotal robe with chiaroscuro effects. The other major ecclesiastic church is San Michele, which rises in three levels and has an elliptical hall with a splayed portal to one side that creates an interesting play on perspective. Across from this side of the church rises another elegant example of late baroque art: Palazzo Spadaro. The last church to visit in this area is Santa Teresa, whose façade shows a rose window, three arches high up with a small bell tower next them.
Visit the filming locations of the popular Italian TV series ‘Inspector Montalbano’ (or ‘Commissario Montelbano’ in Italian) on this full-day tour, departing from either Taormina or Messina province. See the real-life settings of the series’ fictional town Vigata, and visit the beautiful Baroque plazas, churches, beaches and buildings of Ragusa Ibla, Punta Secca and Scicli, where some of the most popular episodes were shot. Enjoy commentary about ‘Inspector Montalbano’ from a friendly guide throughout the day.
Leave your Taormina or Messina province hotel in the early morning, and relax on your coach ride south to the authentic Sicilian town of Ragusa, the first stop on your Inspector Montalbano tour.
Here you’ll visit Piazza Duomo, home to the Basilica of St George, a site that represents the main square of the show’s fictional town of Vigata. Continue to Church of San Giuseppe, Palazzo Donnafugata and Circolo di Conversazione, where the episodes ‘Gli Arancini di Montalbano’ and ‘The Scent of the Night’ were filmed.
After some free time to explore on your own, depart for the seaside town of Punta Secca, dubbed ‘Marinella’ in the show. Visit Montalbano Commissioner's House and the sandy beaches where the main character likes to swim. Have time for lunch (own expense) and go for a dip in the Mediterranean if you wish. Just remember to bring your bathing suit!
Continue onward to the small village of Scicli and enjoy a short walk through its lovely Baroque historical center, named ‘Montelusa’ in the show. Visit Scicli Municipal Town Hall in Palazzo Municipio, and hear how the building was the set location for the Police Commissioner’s office and the Vigata police station. Here you can purchase a ticket to the mayor's real-life office (Stanza del Sindaco), used in the series as Montalbano’s office.
At the end of the day, relax on the drive back to your Taormina or Messina province hotel.
Gli Aromi di Russino farm in Scicli.
This tour surely exceeded our expectations. Such an original idea. We are welcomed with local wine, prosecco and water. Enrico, the owner gave a detailed tour of the farm explaining the different herbs, their use and how they are grown. The setting is beautiful and you can see all the way to the sea. I could have stayed all day in this farm. The buffet was prepared by a buffet.
This service must be booked one day in advance!
In this Sicilian experience tour you can also see and admire the baroque sites of MODICA.
It will also be an experience of Sicilian flavors, aromas and aromas. We will leave from the province of Ragusa. The first stop will be in Modica, the second to the chocolate laboratory to taste and see this exciting place and then to the Scicli farm for an experience not to be missed.
First stop to visit Modica.
Your driver will accompany you to the Cathedral of San Giorgio di Modica, will give you a map of the city with the path you will walk to visit the historic center of Modica.
In the map is written where you meet him to leave for Scicli but before leaving he will visit a laboratory that produces the famous chocolate of Modica and it is possible to make a tasting of Modica chocolate.
Gli Aromi di Russino farm for experience and dinner.
Our driver will give you a map of the city.
Spend a relaxing day sailing with your group of no more than 8 guests with this private sailing tour from Ragusa. Sample wines from the Planeta winery during the trip. Choose a half-day or full-day tour.
Departing from Marina di Ragusa tourist port, you will sail to Punta Secca up to the 'Fomace Penna' of Punta Pisciotto, a prime example of the industrial architecture of the 1900s.
During the stops those that want to will be able to dive into the clear blue waters to cool off.
You can choose between the half-day tour or full-day tour. The full-day tour includes a light lunch with local products and a glass of wine, while you will be offered only a glass of wine if you choose the half-day tour.
The boat (a Dufour sailing boat with 3 or 4 cabins with maximum 8 guests on-board) will be for your exclusive use, with a skipper included.