Follow in Inspector Montalbano’s footsteps and enjoy great food, stunning vistas – even a dip in the Med
Inspector Montalbano Saturday 9.00pm BBC4
Matt Charlton - 28 July 2021
Inspector Montalbano is an altogether different proposition from those gloomy Nordic noir dramas that rarely show their home cities in the best light – or any light at all, really. Since 2012, we’ve followed BBC4’s charming, permanently peckish detective through the sun-drenched streets of southern Sicily.
He drinks his first espresso of the day gazing over the sea from his balcony, takes his morning dip in the Mediterranean, questions witnesses in blooming gardens, chases suspects down the cobbled streets of rustic towns, and eats his pasta with reverence at the local restaurants. La dolce vita indeed. With travel to Italy potentially back on the cards, a repeat of two 2020 episodes on BBC4 (all 36 are on iPlayer) makes the perfect aperitivo to exploring the bewitching region of Sicily where most of the show is filmed. Towards the southernmost tip of the island, the province of Ragusa is around a three-and-a-half hour drive from Palermo airport and a world away from the more touristy areas in the north. It’s a quieter Sicily, one without the wax and polish, and all the more authentic and picturesque for it.
This is not to say, of course, that it hasn’t become busier in the years that the show has been on air. A whole industry has grown up around the series. In Andrea Camilleri’s novels, the fictional town of Vigata, where Salvo Montalbano lives and works, was based on the author’s hometown of Porto Empedolce, on the west coast. For diehard pilgrims, this rough-around-the-edges fishing town is worth a detour on the way from the airport. However, producers of the TV series chose a more aesthetically pleasing setting for their Vigata.
A winding, stunning and nail-biting two-hour drive south of Porto Empedolce is Ragusa. It’s an area known for its baroque architecture, food, and – as with most places in Sicily – sweeping, scenic landscapes at every sharp turn. The island has its fair share of beautiful cities, but Ragusa Ilba is high on the list. Appearing to be carved from the rock in which it nestles, the “Ilba” old town forms only half of the metropolis. Ragusa was divided in two by an earthquake in 1693 and the newer part – Ragusa Superiore – sits on top of the hill. If you’re brave enough to scale the 242 steps up to the Church of Maria delle Scale (literally “Mary of the Stairs” – it doesn’t sound quite as romantic in English), you will be rewarded with vistas that will take away any breath you have left. The views will be very familiar to Montalbano fans.
After your mountaineering experience, you’ll be ready for some sustenance. Where better than one of Salvo’s favourite daytime haunts, Trattoria San Calogero… or Trattoria la Rusticana, as it’s known in reality. It offers simple, traditional food, put together with typical Sicilian flair. Make sure you try the house speciality spaghetti alla rusticana – octopus, cherry tomatoes and basil, and wolf it down in reverent silence, Montalbano-style, while seated on the vine-covered terrace.
On to Scicli. The town hall, which doubles for Vigata police station, now houses the set, which is available to visit… so you can inhale cannoli and espresso close to where the great inspector does some of his best thinking (pick these up from the café next door). Although it’s in a separate town in the series, the police HQ, where Salvo visits his superiors, is conveniently located just down the road in Palazzo Iacono. Scicli is one of the lesser-known Unesco World Heritage sights and it’s well worth exploring its elegant baroque centre beyond the Montalbano links. Salvo’s house itself is in the charming seaside resort of Punta Secca, which has quiet, unspoiled beaches, amazing sunsets and his favourite restaurant, Enzo a Mare, which serves wonderful seafood. It’s now possible to stay at the house itself – a friendly-though-basic B&B from €100 per night (lacasadimontalbano.com).
If you’re looking for a little more luxury, Massimo Villas have several offerings equidistant from Secca, Ragusa and Scicli, providing the perfect base for your sleuthing (massimovillas.com). Through their concierge service, they can arrange a Montalbano tour tailored to your needs. After a few days of Ragusa’s ocean views, tumbledown towns, doppio espressos and fresh pasta, you will understand why Inspector Montalbano is so much less stressed than other TV detectives.
Inspector Montalbano is an altogether different proposition from those gloomy Nordic noir dramas that rarely show their home cities in the best light – or any light at all, really. Since 2012, we’ve followed BBC4’s charming, permanently peckish detective through the sun-drenched streets of southern Sicily.
He drinks his first espresso of the day gazing over the sea from his balcony, takes his morning dip in the Mediterranean, questions witnesses in blooming gardens, chases suspects down the cobbled streets of rustic towns, and eats his pasta with reverence at the local restaurants. La dolce vita indeed. With travel to Italy potentially back on the cards, a repeat of two 2020 episodes on BBC4 (all 36 are on iPlayer) makes the perfect aperitivo to exploring the bewitching region of Sicily where most of the show is filmed. Towards the southernmost tip of the island, the province of Ragusa is around a three-and-a-half hour drive from Palermo airport and a world away from the more touristy areas in the north. It’s a quieter Sicily, one without the wax and polish, and all the more authentic and picturesque for it.
This is not to say, of course, that it hasn’t become busier in the years that the show has been on air. A whole industry has grown up around the series. In Andrea Camilleri’s novels, the fictional town of Vigata, where Salvo Montalbano lives and works, was based on the author’s hometown of Porto Empedolce, on the west coast. For diehard pilgrims, this rough-around-the-edges fishing town is worth a detour on the way from the airport. However, producers of the TV series chose a more aesthetically pleasing setting for their Vigata.
A winding, stunning and nail-biting two-hour drive south of Porto Empedolce is Ragusa. It’s an area known for its baroque architecture, food, and – as with most places in Sicily – sweeping, scenic landscapes at every sharp turn. The island has its fair share of beautiful cities, but Ragusa Ilba is high on the list. Appearing to be carved from the rock in which it nestles, the “Ilba” old town forms only half of the metropolis. Ragusa was divided in two by an earthquake in 1693 and the newer part – Ragusa Superiore – sits on top of the hill. If you’re brave enough to scale the 242 steps up to the Church of Maria delle Scale (literally “Mary of the Stairs” – it doesn’t sound quite as romantic in English), you will be rewarded with vistas that will take away any breath you have left. The views will be very familiar to Montalbano fans.
After your mountaineering experience, you’ll be ready for some sustenance. Where better than one of Salvo’s favourite daytime haunts, Trattoria San Calogero… or Trattoria la Rusticana, as it’s known in reality. It offers simple, traditional food, put together with typical Sicilian flair. Make sure you try the house speciality spaghetti alla rusticana – octopus, cherry tomatoes and basil, and wolf it down in reverent silence, Montalbano-style, while seated on the vine-covered terrace.
On to Scicli. The town hall, which doubles for Vigata police station, now houses the set, which is available to visit… so you can inhale cannoli and espresso close to where the great inspector does some of his best thinking (pick these up from the café next door). Although it’s in a separate town in the series, the police HQ, where Salvo visits his superiors, is conveniently located just down the road in Palazzo Iacono. Scicli is one of the lesser-known Unesco World Heritage sights and it’s well worth exploring its elegant baroque centre beyond the Montalbano links. Salvo’s house itself is in the charming seaside resort of Punta Secca, which has quiet, unspoiled beaches, amazing sunsets and his favourite restaurant, Enzo a Mare, which serves wonderful seafood. It’s now possible to stay at the house itself – a friendly-though-basic B&B from €100 per night (lacasadimontalbano.com).
If you’re looking for a little more luxury, Massimo Villas have several offerings equidistant from Secca, Ragusa and Scicli, providing the perfect base for your sleuthing (massimovillas.com). Through their concierge service, they can arrange a Montalbano tour tailored to your needs. After a few days of Ragusa’s ocean views, tumbledown towns, doppio espressos and fresh pasta, you will understand why Inspector Montalbano is so much less stressed than other TV detectives.
MATT CHARLTON