Things to Do in Ragusa

A little more than 9 miles from Ragusa in southeastern Sicily sits a beautiful 14th-century castle with a pretty name - Donnafugata Castle. The word translates to “fugitive woman,” but the castle’s name stems from an Arabic word, so there’s no romantic story to go with it.

Donnafugata Castle is a patchwork of architectural and artistic styles, including one Venetian Gothic facade and Baroque interior. Visitors can walk through many decorated rooms on the first floor of the castle, including a Hall of Mirrors, smoking room, music room, royal bedrooms, and many rooms with trompe l’oeil paintings on the ceilings.

The castle’s gardens are also open to the public, including a Neoclassical temple building among the gardens of Mediterranean trees and plants. Tours of the filming locations for the “Inspector Montalbano” television series typically include a stop at Donnafugata Castle, which figures into the show as the residence of a mob boss.