Following Inspector Montalbano: let’s discover the self-drive tour by Dimensione Sicilia
Inspector Montalbano, a character born from the pen of Sicilian writer Andrea Camilleri and made famous worldwide also thanks to the TV series of the same name, is the protagonist of one of the self-drive tours signed Dimensione Sicilia. A 6-day itinerary among some of the most enchanting places on the island to retrace the footsteps of the famous policeman played on the small screen by Luca Zingaretti. Ready to get behind the wheel for a new adventure?
Discovering Sicily by car is a unique experience. You will travel at your own pace stopping where your heart tells you to. And in this, Dimensione Sicilia can support you in the organization and accompany you in the discovery of special places. Thus was born the self-drive tour dedicated to the places of Inspector Montalbano. A 6-day program, entirely personalized, to experience firsthand the suggestions of the island read in books or seen on TV.
Starting point? Catania airport. Here you pick up the rental car and then off you go…towards Ragusa!
Following Montalbano
Having rung the alarm clock and savored a delicious breakfast of local products, the first stop of the day is Ragusa Ibla. Here it will be the Cathedral of San Giorgio with its panoramic staircase that will call the urge to take a photo with a view of the city. Just as it will be the beauty of the 19th-century Hyblaean Garden with its tree-lined avenues and colors that will invite you to stop…and take a walk. You will immediately feel transported to the locations of Inspector Montalbano, recognizable glimpses that will surprise you! But it will be at lunch that the magic…will become reality. Get ready to taste the dishes of La Rusticana restaurant, which in the TV series is the trattoria da Calogero, the character’s favorite.
With your belly full, continue finally to Modica where, beyond the famous Baroque, it is the chocolate prepared according to the ancient Aztec recipe that is considered a real star.
Let’s go to Vigata
The third day of the tour will take you to Scicli, a triumph of Mediterranean scrubland as well as a treasure chest of art and history in the embrace of the Iblei Mountains. Its architecture, postcard-perfect corners and the entire landscape that frames it are the motivations that made it the queen of the TV series Inspector Montalbano: Scicli is in fact Vigata. The town where the inspector works is precisely where you will find yourself during this itinerary. The souvenir photo to take home is the one in front of the Town Hall that is what on the small screen is precisely the Police station where the investigations carried out by Salvo, Mimì and Catarella take place. The second part of the day, on the other hand, is dedicated to a visit to the Castle of Donnafugata, which is also extensively described by Andrea Camilleri’s skilful pen.
Marinella, swim with Ispector Montalbano
Montalbano fans know it as Marinella, that corner of paradise where we have often seen Luca Zingaretti swimming. Well, the fourth day of the tour will take you right there. In reality it is Punta Secca, a small village kissed by the sea where time is marked by the sound of waves and the glow of sunsets. If you are wondering where the Ispector’s house is…you will soon have the answer! It is right here and you will recognize it immediately, imagining him looking out and greeting you.
Following that, the next day, you will have the opportunity to visit the trident of wonders: Ispica, Marzamemi and Noto. These are three jewels: from the thousand-year history of Ispica you will move on to the vibrant hues of Marzamemi and then to the triumph of Baroque in Noto, a masterpiece of 18th-century architecture.
Before returning home…
On the last day, there is still time for one last but very important stop. Welcome to Syracuse! The pride of the city is undoubtedly the Neapolis Archaeological Park with its majestic Greek theater and the immense Ear of Dionysius. But it will be Ortigia, with its narrow alleys, the Cathedral, the Arethusa spring (and perhaps the smell of freshly baked brioche) that will make you want to stay forever. As in a frame, as between the pages of a book. Immortal.
