Adapted from the best-selling books by Sicilian author Andrea Camilleri, the TV series of Inspector Montalbano is set in and around the fictional town of Vigata, in the picturesque area of Ragusa in southeast Sicily. This itinerary is designed to enable you to discover where exactly some of the key locations of the series are, and to introduce you to the history and the architecture of the Val di Noto.

Program outline:

Day 1 – Arrival at Catania’s Fontanarossa airport and private transfer to your hotel in Noto.

Day 2 to 4 – This 3-day long itinerary includes the following sites of interest, albeit not necessarily in that order: Punta Secca, Scicli, Noto, Modica, Ragusa-Ibla, The Castel of Donnafugata and Syracuse

Day 5 – Departure and transfer to Catania’s Fontanarossa airport.*
*Should your flight be scheduled late afternoon, you may be interested in taking a guided tour of Catania. Please contact us for further details on this option.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1:Arrival at Catania’s Fontanarossa airport and private transfer to your hotel in Noto.

Day 2 to 4:

– Punta Secca: Inspector Montalbano is lucky enough to wake up every morning in his seafront house in “Marinella”, the small village of Punta Secca.

– Scicli: the police station in “Vigata” is actually the town hall of Scicli, a beautifully conserved baroque town. Its old town centre is part of the World Heritage Site of the Val di Noto and, while less known than its fellow UNESCO partners, it is most definitely worth exploring.

– Noto: known as the pearl of baroque style in Eastern Sicily, Noto is an ideal location for shooting films and series. We frequently see the inspector walk Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Noto’s main avenue. Palazzo Nicolaci, one of the most famous aristocratic palaces in Noto, was also used as a setting for the series on numerous occasions. Our inspector has also drunk a great many coffees at the Amarcord cafè!

– Ragusa-Ibla, whose history goes back to Siculi times, has many sumptuous baroque churches and noble palaces, which have earned it its place as a World Heritage Site. Many of the “Vigata” scenes are filmed in and around Ragusa Ibla’s Piazza Duomo and the Hybleian Gardens. Another building of interest that has featured in the series is the neoclassical Circolo di Conversazione, once the meeting place for the town’s aristocrats.

– Modica: This lovely baroque town is overlooked by the impressive Cathedral of San Giorgio, the patron saint of Modica (upper Modica). Its remarkable grand façade and its elegant twin staircases leading to the church have become a symbol of Montalbano and a recurrent setting in the television series.  Besides opulent churches and palazzi, you will also be introduced to Modica’s chocolate tradition, which is inherent to its history.

– The Castel of Donnafugata: One of Montalbano’s greatest opponents is Mafia boss Balduccio Sinagra, whose luxurious dwelling is actually Il Castello di Donnafugata. The so-called Castello di Donnafugata is a wonderful example of 19th century eclectic architecture. This is most obvious by looking at its façade, which echoes the Palazzo Ducale in Venice. This eclecticism is also present in its 122 rooms and its private garden.

– Last but not least, Syracuse, where Montalbano is seen aboard his Fiat Tipo in front of the Duomo, Palazzo Beneventano and Palazzo Vermexio. In mesmerizing Syracuse, we will take a good look at the Greek theatre and other splendours from antiquity in the most suggestive and important Nepolis archaeological area. And in Ortigia, your guide will unravel some 2500 years of history, for Ortigia is packed with splendid ruins and buildings of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Gothic-Catalan, Norman and Renaissance origins.

Montalbano’s passion for detective work is equaled only by his love of good food. As such, your guide will take you to a few places where Montalbano is a regular lunchtime client

Day 5 – Departure and transfer to Catania’s Fontanarossa airport.*
*Should your flight be scheduled late afternoon, you may be interested in taking a guided tour of Catania. Please contact us for further details on this option.

End of the itinerary

Price of the program per person for groups of up to 8 people:
1 person – € 2700
2 people – € 1386
3 people – €  1016
4 people – €  779
5 people – €  636
6 people – €  540
7 people – €  490
8 people – €  435

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