A noble residence of the nineteenth century, with a stone labyrinth
Despite its name, the Castello di Donnafugata, about fifteen kilometres from Ragusa, is not a medieval fortress but a sumptuous nineteenth century residence of the barons Arezzo de Spuches, built around an older tower and decorated with a Venetian Gothic loggia. Its name evokes the Donnafugata of The Leopard, though Tomasi di Lampedusa was actually thinking of another place.
Inside, a hundred and twenty rooms, some of which can be visited, show the life of the Sicilian nobility: the Hall of Mirrors, the music room, the billiard room and the bedrooms, with original furniture and costumes from the museum of fashion. The large park is full of eccentricities created for the amusement of guests: a small temple, a coffee house, a fake hermit's chapel, a grotto and a stone labyrinth.
Tip: the castle has appeared in several films and in the Montalbano series; in summer it hosts concerts and theatre in the park.
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