33. Ragusa - the Home of Montalbano

33. Ragusa - the Home of Montalbano 

We are in Marina di Ragusa at last. We are now near the southern most tip of Sicily. Most boats use this as a stop off point before heading for Malta or Tunisia. 

We are not going to Malta or Gozo as our time is now getting short and it would have been great to visit Gozo but we have heard that the small marina in Gozo is not easy as you are very lucky to get a mooring there and there is so much swell from the ferries which constantly travel to and from the main island. This is according to the Maltese Consul of the Cruising Association who gave us plenty of advice on the next phase of our trip

So we are enjoying this large Port at Marina di Ragusa.. The final part is the passage through the Messina straits which does sound quite daunting with currents up to 5 knots, whirlpools and wind funnelling through the gap and swooping gusts of wind suddenly from the surrounding mountains on both sides; that as well as the traffic of ferries crossing the straits and tankers and cargo ships going through. 

All traffic through the straits is governed by the Messina Port Captain and you can be heavily fined if you do not keep to the agreed course. The Traffic is separated by west side traffic going North and East side traffic going South. It is further complicated by a roundabout opposite the town of Messina for the Ferries which are speeding across the traffic lanes to the Italian mainland. But more of this when it happens! We will anyway have to wait for the right wind and the right current. A friend sailed this some time ago at night and saw Mount Etna glowing red!

We are now in Montalbano country. Let me explain briefly to those not initiated to these Sicilian Crime solving episodes.

Montalbano was a television series set in Sicily in the time of the Mafiosi. Montalbano was a Commandant in charge of the detectives in the area of Ragusa (a fictitious name was used). He was rather like the Italian version of Hercule Poirot and he solved crimes in a similar way but with Sicilian flare and with a whisper of Mafiosi in the background.

He apparently turned down a promotion to Palermo because his friend a prosecutor was killed by the mafia and he had vowed to bring them to justice. The town hall at Scicli was used for his grand offices.

The towns which we visited are famous Baroque towns full of wonderful buildings built in the Baroque style from the early 17th Century.  The towns are part of the Ragusa Commune. First was Scicli then Modica and then Ragusa, and Ragusa Ibla. The towns are well suited for such a television series. So we combined the two together. Visiting the towns by car and following in the footsteps of Montalbano and his team of detectives. 

Chief Inspector Salvo Montalbano 

The house were Salvo Montalbano lived and where he had his daily swim in the sea. 

The town of Scicli in the Commune Di Ragusa 

The first Baroque town we visited was Scicli and this is where the Town Hall was used as the Police Headquarters. 

It was also the Office of the Head of the Police, the Commissario Valente.

We visited the Town Hall and were invited to see the Commissario's office and the Detectives' offices.

The views from the balcony of the Commissario's office

           

Down stairs were the Police Dept Offices and I was shown into Montalbano's office and the famous desk.

And so down to work.

Inspector Fazio's Desk for taking statements from suspects and witnesses and for taking notes while Montalbano questioned various suspects. 

Not many Police Stations have a ceiling like this.

The office area for the detectives

Baroque architecture was a highly decorative and theatrical style and was originally introduced by the Catholic Church particularly by the Jesuits as a means to combat the Reformation and the Protestant Church with a new architecture that inspired surprise, romanticism and awe.
It eventually spread throughout Europe with further variations. 

The Baroque of Scicli was grandiose with many churches, palaces and administrative buildings with massive doorways and windows adorned with ornate sculptures, cherubs and gargoyles. 

A typically adorned first floor balcony window

Outside the Town Hall

The Central Church in Sicili

Open air restaurants in abundance

The ornate doorway of an administrative office.

Puppet shows are very traditional in Sicily and here a puppet monkey is playing the Xylophone

A beautiful outdoor street restaurant

Sicily is famous for it's pottery however it requires a certain taste! 

            The green dome shaped pieces of pottery are supposed to be fertility symbols and the Moorish  heads are seen everywhere. Remembering that Sicily had been conquered by the Moors and so there are  strong traditional links .

The figure on the balcony is a statue taking a photo with an iPhone