The Leopard, a Sicilian story

The Leopard (in Italian Il Gattopardo) is one of the most renown novels of Italian, and above all, Sicilian literature. In 1963, Luchino Visconti, who was inspired by its huge popularity, decided to make a movie starring some celebrities such as Alain Delon and the American actor Burt Lancaster. It’s a Sicilian story, which Martin Scorsese considers to be one of the greatest films ever made. Are you curious to learn more about the places where some famous scenes were shot? Read more on Sicilian Secrets’ blog.

We were the leopards, the lions, those who take our place will be jackals and sheep, and the whole lot of us – leopards, lions, jackals and sheep – will continue to think ourselves the salt of the earth.

The Leopard (in Italian Il Gattopardo) is one of the most famous novels of Italian, and above all, Sicilian literature. It was written by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and after a couple of rejections, it was published posthumously in 1958 and became a bestseller. The incredible success of this novel convinced Italian director Luchino Visconti to make a movie loosely based on this book.

The film starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale was a blockbuster and still nowadays is considered to be a masterpiece of filmography. It’s a Sicilian story, The Leopard, and it’s actually a mirror of Sicilian society during the period called Risorgimento (the second half of the XIX century). If you want to know more about it, why don’t you take notes about some of the places where scenes were shot? Follow Sicilian Secrets!

The holiday house of Prince Salina

We are in the so-called Villa ai Colli, located in an area that many years ago was just a few kilometers from Palermo. In the book, the building described by the author is Villa Lampedusa, but when Luchino Visconti filmed The Leopard, he was forced to use another set because of the unstable condition of the palace. For this reason, he opted for another mansion, Villa Boscogrande ai Colli.

The Leopard, filming on location

One of the most unforgettable scenes of the movie directed by Visconti is the battle between the Garibaldians and the Bourbon army.

They filmed everything in Palermo, in the heart of the historical center, at Kalsa.

The cult scene

The peak of the story is the scene during the ball, in which the young Claudia Cardinale dances in a lavish ballroom dressed in a precious dress.

Luchino Visconti chose Palazzo Gangi in Palermo and had a very curious request: the illumination, to be as realistic as possible, could only be made with candles.

Donnafugata

The feud of Donnafugata, the one where the main characters of The Leopard go on vacation, is an imaginary place created by Tomasi di Lampedusa. The writer identifies it with Palma di Montechiaro, in the province of Agrigento, and to describe the palace, it takes inspiration from the Palace Filangeri-Cutò, in Santa Margherita di Belice.

In the movie, the reproduction of the façade of the building and all the scenes filmed on location, were shot in Ciminna, just a few kilometers away from Palermo.

If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.

If you liked this article, follow Sicilian Secrets and Dimensione Sicilia on Facebook, to discover more and more about Sicily and its gems.

Sicilian cathedrals: a journey through faith, art, and history

Sicily, a crossroads of peoples and cultures, boasts an unparalleled artistic and spiritual heritage. Among its most treasured gems are its cathedrals...

Roberta Giarrusso: Sicily in her heart, art in her soul

Roberta Giarrusso, a Palermo-born actress born in 1982, made her first debut into show business by participating in Miss Italia in 2001. She became po...

Salvo Nero, when ego, romance, and emotions become works of art

Salvo Nero, a self-taught painter born in Palermo in 1984, initially drew inspiration from animated cartoons and the artists of his hometown. His crea...

Sicilian monumental cemeteries, an eternal silence of art and memory

The Sicilian monumental cemeteries represent an invaluable heritage, deserving of rediscovery and appreciation. Beyond their artistic value, they are ...

taralawrencestuart says:

9 April 2020 at 07:18

Having worn out two copies of the book, and two copies of the 3-disc Criterion edition of The Leopard, I realize it is my all time favorite film. I never have bothered to watch the American version (although it is on one of the three discs) because inexplicably Burt Lancaster comes off better in Italian, even seems to be speaking Italian. I found out that, thank goodness, Marlon Brando turned down the starring role.
I love the exquisite detail and delicate baroque furnishings, the film opening in fabulous Villa Boscogrande, and the ball filmed in the Gangi Palace in downtown Palermo, but am enchanted by the way director Luchino Visconti captured the hot yellow Sicilian fields, the ochres and tans and expansive blues skies of “Donnafugata” and those old labyrinthine rooms for Tancredi and Angelica to get lost in. In his commentary, Peter Cowie thoroughly explains how it was created, and his personal juicy gossipy revelations that were secret during Visconti’s life. ,
Having read the book when it first came out (I’m 82), it is such a thrill to picture it all. I am sure that the author would be proud to know just what he “hath wrought.” He never realised his only novel’s publication and his posthumous award, let alone Luchino’s celebratory film. I bought two large books on Sicilian architecture and other books by and about Tomasi.
To my surprise, Nino Rota’s dramatic music in The Leopard differs so much from other movies featuring his soundtracks—War and Peace with Audrey Hepburn, and surprise—all three Godfathers (except, at the end of Godfather 3, Mascagni’s opera Cavalleria Rusticana, which sounds like Nino Rota wrote it. I’ve digressed, sorry.)