Porto Empedocle

Detail

At the entrance to the city you will find the sign: Welcome to Vigata.

You haven't made a mistake, it refers to the (imaginary and composite) city described by Andrea Camilleri in his novels. In fact, the writer was born here and in the main street you can admire a bronze statue in natural proportions depicting his character Inspector Montalbano. And if you are a fan, this is the right place to venture on a journey that will take you to discover the locations of Montalbano.

But walking along the lively Via Roma and stopping in one of its elegant outdoor cafés is certainly not the only reason to visit Porto Empedocle.

When you go down to the port (the Marina, as the locals call it) where ferries leave for the Pelagie Islands, you will come to the beautiful and massive Carlo V Tower, once a historic fortification and then a prison. Inside is the Sala delle Armi (Hall of Arms) and a permanent exhibition of works by the sculptor Giuseppe Agnello, creator of the statue of Montalbano.

A half-hour drive away, don’t miss Naro, a small medieval village (one of the most beautiful in Italy!), which is waiting to be discovered.