The Settings of the Inspector Montalbano: an itinerary between reality and finctional scene

All the investigations of the beloved Inspector Montalbano, created by the imagination and pen of the writer Andrea Camilleri, occur around what the writer calls Vigata in the imaginary province of Montelusa. In reality, it corresponds to Porto Empedocle (two steps from the famous Scala dei Turchi), in the province of Agrigento. However, most of the settings of the tv series are not Agrigento, but Ragusa and Ragusa Ibla. For true enthusiasts or curious, it is possible to have a tour following the guide book "The Places of Montalbano. A guide" by M. Clausi, D. Leo, G. Mouth, A. Amaru Panels, D. Ragusa, Sellerio (2007), an atlas of the Inspector Montalbano's geographical universe between fiction and reality, to discover the routes, routes of the expeditions, the villages and districts visited, the houses of the crimes and the places hang out by him and the other characters, the beaches where he swims, the landscapes.

The house of Salvo Montalbano with a terrace on the beach, historically is located in the village of Marinella, which coincides with Punta Secca, a district of the municipality of Santa Croce of Camerina in the province of Ragusa. The villa, which is light grey and has green blinds, is located just a few yards away from the Scalambri Tower and the Faro di Punta Secca. Today the house was transformed into a Bed & Breakfast, one of the most sought-after on the coast.

The municipality of Scicli is the setting of Vigata. The office of the mayor of Vigata has been set up in the Spadaro Palace. The former Chamber of Labor was chosen to set up the offices of the Inspector Montalbano and his deputy Mimì Augello. The outsides of the Montelusa Police are actually the outskirts of the Iacone Palace in Scicli. Since 2002, its historic center has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with the Val di Noto.

If the unreal Vigata corresponds to Porto Empedocle (the municipality itself has the name Vigata in the entrance sign), for the tv series, the majority of scenes were shot in Ragusa Ibla, the oldest part of the city with the splendid square of Duomo that is seen in several scenes, as well as the Church of St George, the Church of St Mary of the Stairs and some glimpse of the Ibleo's Gardens One of the most Montalbano beloved places is the Calogero restaurant, where he often eats excellent fish-based meals; it actually exists and is located in Ragusa Ibla, but it has a different name. Another important place for Inspector Montalbano's tv series is the Donnafugata Castle ( is almost 15 km from Ragusa): over there he has conversations with Balduccio Sinagra, a member of the Mafia.