The Scala dei Turchi and Montalbano's historic Vigata

The Scala dei Turchi, a white marl rock face that drops steeply to the sea along the coast of Realmonte, owes its peculiar name to a legend. It is said that during the Saracen invasions this cliff was used by Turkish pirates (a generic term used to refer to Muslim pirates) who found in it a natural landing place, thus giving rise to the expression “Mamma li turchi.” From this scenic promontory one can admire the cliff of the “Rocca Gucciarda,” popularly known as “u zitu e a zita” (the fiancé and the fiancée), in honor of a pair of unfortunate fiancés who were denied their long-awaited wedding in life. In recent years the Scala has become a tourist attraction both because of the uniqueness of the cliffs and the popularity gained as a result of the Inspector Montalbano novels written by Andrea Camilleri where these landmarks and towns appear frequently. On the main street of Porto Empedocle (Via Roma) stands a mural titled “the way home” created by artist Salvo Ligama and depicts the magnetic gaze of Camilleri sticking his head out of a shutter. Also in the main town square, some cultural associations decorated a 16-step staircase with bright colors, writing a title from Camilleri’s novels on each step.