Il Commissario Montalbano: The Sicilian Detective Who Taught Italy to Cook
Salvo Montalbano has a complicated relationship with his girlfriend Livia, a loyal team of eccentric subordinates, a deep loathing of bureaucracy, and an absolute passion for Sicilian food. He also solves crimes. Created by the Sicilian writer Andrea Camilleri in 1994, the Montalbano novels are among the best-selling Italian books of the last three decades, and the RAI television adaptation — starring the magnificent Luca Zingaretti — ran for 13 seasons and is one of the most successful Italian TV productions in history.
What makes Camilleri's creation extraordinary is the language. Camilleri wrote in a mixture of standard Italian and Sicilian dialect — a distinctive, musical language that he invented rather than transcribed, capturing the rhythm and flavour of Sicilian speech without being incomprehensible to non-Sicilian readers. Initially publishers refused the manuscripts, convinced no one would understand the dialect. They were spectacularly wrong. Italian readers were enchanted by the language, and the TV adaptation spread it to millions who had never read the books. 'Caminelleriano' became a recognised adjective.
But Montalbano is much more than a detective story. It is a portrait of Sicily — its beauty, its contradictions, its relationship with the Mafia, its food, its light, its ancient culture. Camilleri was born in Porto Empedocle (the model for Vigàta) and his love for the island permeates every page. The food in the Montalbano books is treated with the same seriousness as the crime plots — Montalbano's meals at Enzo's restaurant and his morning swims at Marinella are as important to the books as the investigations. This reflects a profound Italian truth: that eating well, living beautifully, and attending to the pleasures of daily life is not trivial — it is civilisation.
Camilleri was born in 1925 and published his first Montalbano novel at the age of 68. He continued writing prolifically until shortly before his death in 2019 at the age of 93, producing 27 Montalbano novels. His late-life celebrity was extraordinary — he became one of the most recognised faces in Italian public life, regularly commenting on politics with the authority and wit of a man who had seen everything. His Montalbano novels became increasingly political over time, using the detective's cases as vehicles for commentary on the Mafia, corruption, immigration, and the widening inequality of Italian society.
Italian vocabulary from Montalbano
Il commissario Montalbano era temuto dai criminali. — Commissioner Montalbano was feared by criminals.
Le triglie alla livornese erano il suo piatto preferito. — Red mullet Livorno-style was his favourite dish.
Minchia, che caso complicato! — Damn, what a complicated case! (Sicilian flavour)
Era un picciotto sveglio, quel Catarella. — He was a sharp young man, that Catarella.
L'indagine durava da settimane senza risultati. — The investigation had been going on for weeks without results.
La riunione in questura era prevista per le nove. — The meeting at headquarters was scheduled for nine.
Montalbano non rinunciava mai a un arancino fresco. — Montalbano never passed up a fresh arancino.
Phrases every Italian knows from Montalbano
«Montalbano sono.»
"I'm Montalbano." — His characteristic telephone answer — not 'sono Montalbano' but inverted, Sicilian style. Every Italian immediately recognises this phrase.
«Catarella, che sta facendo?»
"Catarella, what are you doing?" — Directed at his incompetent but lovable switchboard operator, who mangled everyone's names. Catarella's linguistic disasters became beloved comic relief.
«Pirsonalmente, mi pari...»
Catarella's speech, full of Sicilian-Italian phonetic confusions ('pirsonalmente' for 'personalmente'), became a comic institution. Italians imitate it affectionately.
Montalbano's Favourite Sicilian Dishes
| Dish | Italian description |
|---|---|
| Pasta con le sarde | Pasta with sardines, fennel, pine nuts and raisins — a Palermo classic |
| Arancini | Fried rice balls stuffed with meat ragù or butter and cheese |
| Triglie al cartoccio | Red mullet baked in paper — Enzo's speciality in the novels |
| Caponata | Sweet-and-sour aubergine stew — served as antipasto |
| Cannoli | Fried pastry tubes filled with ricotta — the defining Sicilian dessert |
The Sicilian dialect vocabulary in the Montalbano books offers genuine insight into southern Italian language. Words like 'cristiano' (used in Sicilian dialect to mean 'person', not just 'Christian'), 'picciriddu' (small child), 'vastaso' (rude/badly-mannered person), and 'sdillinguire' (one of Camilleri's invented words) give the books a linguistic texture that standard Italian cannot replicate. For learners at B2 and above, reading Montalbano is a rich and rewarding exercise that develops sensitivity to Italian regional variation.
The Montalbano TV series is one of the best resources available for learning Italian. The dialogue is clear (B1–B2 level), the Sicilian dialect elements are manageable with context, and the visual beauty of the filming locations — shot around Ragusa Ibla, Scicli, and Punta Secca — makes it a pleasure to watch. RaiPlay has the full series available for free with Italian subtitles for Italian users. The novels are excellent for B2 readers and give extraordinary exposure to Camilleri's unique blend of registers.
2,500+ free exercises are waiting for you.
Start practising free →