The Castle of Donnafugata

The Castle of Donnafugata is one of the most beautiful and interesting noble residences in all of Sicily.

It is an ancient medieval castle, probably belonging to Chiaramonte, which in 1648 was bought by Vincenzo Arezzo-La Rocca and then adorned by the baron Corrado Arezzo, who turned it into a rich country house.

It consists of 120 richly adorned rooms and about 8 hectares of monumental park with a truly fascinating location. According to an ancient legend, the wicked baron Bernardo Cabrera fell in love with the Queen Bianca of Navarra who, not corresponding to his love, was locked up in one of the castle’s rooms. However, the queen managed to escape through underground tunnels that led her to the surrounding countryside. Hence the name “fugata woman”.

Interiors

The visit is rather pleasant. All rooms are furnished with the original furniture of the time and one has the sensation of reliving the noble life of the living rooms of the time.

A life full of long chats, parties, dances but also moments of relaxation and leisure.

It is worth taking a few minutes to admire even the most sought after details, which tell a lot about the taste and habits of the count. Among the most beautiful rooms we point out the hall of mirrors, the bishop’s room and the art gallery. But the others will certainly not fail to amaze you.

Exteriors and garden

Beautiful also the outside of the castle, with its large terrace, accessible via a staircase, which gives the view of the countryside all around, until you get lost in the sea of ​​Marina di Ragusa. The large garden deserves to be visited, especially in spring, when an explosion of colorful flowers frames the immense green space. The Count certainly had to be a very cheerful and likeable guy, or maybe he just looked for a way to distract his guests in the long hours of boredom. For this reason we find many small attractions. Such as the labyrinth, made with the drywall technique. Or the circular temple, the Coffee House, the underground caves and much more.

Curiosity

Commissioner Montalbano fans will certainly not be disappointed by visiting this castle. On the terrace, in fact, you will recognize some scenes from the dialogues between Montalbano and the mafia boss Balduccio Sinagra. While on the labyrinth some scenes of “La gita a Tindari” have been shot.