The Kingdom of Two Sicilies
Although The Leopard focuses only on Sicily, at this time it was actually the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, combined with Naples. This is historically accurate in 1860.
The Bourbon Family
The Bourbon Family, the protagonists of this show, were a very real, very royal family.
Truly, I was surprised by this last name as well, it’s not very Italian and the bourbon we know and drink today is more often than not from Kentucky, a place not known for Italian immigrants. That connection is a mystery for another day though - back to history!
The Royal House of Bourbon ruled over the two separate kingdoms of Naples and that of Sicily from 1734-1816, in 1816 they merged in one kingdom (called Two Sicilies) until…well, I told you no spoilers so I won’t give you the end date of that rule just yet.
The Corbera Family
You’ll quickly learn in the introduction of the show that the main characters are actually the Corbera Family, royals but not the Bourbons.
The main protagonist, Prince Don Fabrizio Corbera, isn’t a real name from history. He’s based on the author of the novel's great grandfather, a true Sicilian prince, and the author himself.
The other family members also portrayed in the show, including his daughter Concetta and nephew Tancredi Falconeri, are not real people but based loosely on the author’s own experience with the royal family of Sicily.
The real leader of the Two Sicilies at the time was young Francis II, an inexperienced royal who only become king in 1859.
The Unification of Italy
Prior to the Unification of Italy, Italy was actually a number of states, all governed separately. The country didn’t actually become one nation until 1961.
Just as you might have imagined, the unification of Italy was a bloody affair but one I really didn’t know anything about until watching The Leopard and researching the facts from the fiction.
This might sound naive as I now live in Italy and the unification should be a pretty big deal but when I’ve dug into Italy’s past, I typically get enthralled with the Roman Empire and then WWII, leaving almost 2000 years in between unturned. I appreciated this show so much for showcasing an incredibly important part of Italy’s history that at least outside of Italy tends to get overlooked.
Guiseppe Garibaldi
This is a name you’ll hear a lot in the show and is indeed a real person. On your visit to Italy, you’re likely to see many things named after the general, including streets and plazas.
Garibaldi was on a real mission of unification at all costs. While other influential people in Italy at the time had different goals, his objective was clear: unify all of Italy for King Victor Emmanuel II.
You’ll learn within the first few minutes of the show that the Bourbon Family isn’t worried about Garibaldi since he was in Genoa, on the northwestern coast of Italy. That part is true, too. Garibaldi launched what is since called the Expedition of the Thousand from Genoa, landing on the coast in Marsala, Sicily.
The Attitude of the People
In the show, it’s depicted that the “people” are on the side of Garibaldi and are eager to overthrow the Monarchy. Even the royal cousin speaks of freedom and advancements the unification of Italy could bring.
You see soldiers being beaten and killed by the people they’re meant to defend and people shouting, “Down with the Bourbons” loudly and proudly.
Was that really the attitude? Yes, I believe it was.
The Revolution of 1848, a ploy to overthrow the Bourbons in Sicily, was still fresh in people’s minds. The Bourbons were known as being repressive and harsh to their people so the idea of an island without them in power was an exciting idea for most. While the revolution did grant the people a new, more liberal Constitution, it was really too little too late for most, especially when other options (like unification) were suggested.
Will You Watch The Leopard?
Personally, I’m a big fan of historical fiction and since this is an important part of Sicily that I didn’t previously know about, I really enjoyed The Leopard. As a mini series, it’s an easy one to binge on a weekend.
