Last summer I spent three weeks touring the south coast of Sicily in search of Inspector Montalbano, the compassionate yet irascible protagonist of Andrea Camilleri’s detective novels.  Camilleri set his books in the town of Vigata, a town whose whereabouts proved elusive on a map.  In reality, Vigata is closely based on Porto Empedocle, the author’s childhood home.  Hard core Montalbano fanatics will enjoy deciphering the blurred lines between fact and fiction if they pay a visit to this little coastal town.  Those who want a more cinematic experience can stay in the Inspector’s house.

Palomar and RAI, the Italian state broadcaster, have created a hugely successful TV series around the exploits of Salvo Montalbano.  Instead of locating his home along the coastal strip to the west of Porto Empedocle, they chose the beachfront at Punta Secca, 6.7km from Santa Croce Camerina and 39km from the Baroque paradise of Modica.  Salvo is a true Mediterranean and likes nothing better than to take his morning espresso on a balcony overlooking the sea.  The house has a wrap-around upper gallery and a more shaded lower terrace, a suitable spot for pondering the intricacies of a perplexing case.

The balcony’s shadows ripple over the sands of a golden arc spreading away towards Torre Mezzo.  Montalbano’s frustrations are frequently vented by taking a solitary stroll along this beach or cutting through the surf to the head of the bay.  Returning home, dinner is usually provided by his house keeper, Adelina.  Guests may not be that lucky, but they can take their own supper out on to the terrace as the sun sets over the Libyan Sea.  The surrounding area isn’t short of eateries, some even specializing in Montalbano’s arancini, the fried rice croquettes beloved of Sicilians in general.

The house sits on a little piazza, bordered to the left by a 13th century Saracen watch tower, a remnant of more troubled times.  Pensioners line the benches at the foot of the tower, whiling away the hours, putting the world to rights.  They’ve seen all this nonsense before, tourists itching to get a photo of Salvo’s home.  The village hits its stride during the spring and summer, but has the fascination of a working fishing port in the winter months. 

The hinterland behind Punta Secca holds its own delights.  In addition to the aforementioned Modica, Scicli and Ragusa are also hidden gems of Baroque architecture, in its particularly ornate Sicilian variation.  The Scicli town hall in Via Mormino Pena even hosts the film crews when Salvo’s on the case.  The building turns into the Vigata Police headquarters with the Inspector’s tatty old Fiat parked outside.

Ragusa Ibla, the older brother to modern Ragusa, lies at the heart of the Montalbano trail.  The streets which spill down hill from San Giorgio Cathedral are immortalized on film in many episodes of the series, not to mention a host of cinema classics: Divorce Italian Style, Chaos and The Last of the Corleonesi to name a few.  The drive from Ibla back to the coast is best done as the afternoon fades to dusk behind the olive fields and dry stone walls.  There’s a gin and tonic waiting on Salvo’s balcony.

Details on staying in La Casa di Montalbano can be found at: http://www.lacasadimontalbano.com/ or book a guided tour of the film locations here: http://www.sicilytourguides.net/Montalbano_locations-tour.htm.

Andrew Edwards likes to spend as much time as possible in the lands of the olive, particularly Spain and Italy.  He is a translator and freelance writer who loves the literature of the Mediterranean.  He is currently translating two books on Sicily.  When not working, writing travel articles or reading, he enjoys food – anything with anchovies – and Italian cinema.