Bright Summaries - The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide

The novel opens with the Prince of Salina, Don Fabrizio, reciting the rosary (a kind of prayer), as well as his description of his palace in Palermo, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and his family. The Prince of Salina is the archetype of the ancient Italian aristocracy which he belongs to. He is a cultured, powerful man who is often accompanied by his dog, Bendic, whose loyalty and intelligence he greatly appreciates.

In May 1860, Don Fabrizio has a political conversation with his nephew Tancredi, a man who he loves more than his own children. Later on, he learns that his daughter, Concetta, is in love with him and disapproves, as he thinks her undeserving of Tancredi. The young man is an ambitious character, prepared to do anything to achieve his goals.

At the time, Italy was going through many changes: it was moving into the period known as the Risorgimento, which would eventually lead to the unification of the country (1861) and the development of national pride. If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change, the Prince explains to his nephew (p. 10). Tancredi wants to join King Victor Emmanuel IIs (1820-1878) supporters, who were for the unification of Italy. On the other hand, Don Fabrizio, along with the rest of the Sicilian aristocracy, fears that his privileges will be taken away by unification, as it implies the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies joining the rest of Italy and the fall of King Francis II (the last ruler of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, 1836-1894), who reigned over Palermo at that time. Unfortunately for him, he finds out the next day that General Garibaldi (1807-1882), who was fighting for the unification of the Italian State, has landed in Marsala.

Don Fabrizio, in the company of his dog, then goes to the observatory of Father Pirrone, his friend and confidant. The two discuss the recent political events and the changes still to come: the advent of the bourgeoisie as the new dominant class and the abolition of the privileges of the aristocracy and the Church. They then move on to their shared passion: studying the movement of the stars.

During the holidays, the Prince and his family go to their lands in Donnafugata: he loved the house at Donnafugata, the people, the sense of feudal ownership surviving there (p. 17). However, Don Fabrizio finds it a changed town, mostly due to the rise of the upstart Don Calogero Sedara, head of the liberals, a peasant who has become as rich as him thanks to his business. The Prince sees revolution in that white tie and two black tails (p. 23). Even the dog Benidic growls at him when he sees him. Indeed, the country is changing: the bourgeoisie is beginning to rise while the nobilitys way of life in now under threat. However, the Prince seems to want to ignore this looming danger and, as time goes by, begins to get to know Sedara: the class difference which at first divided the two men now begins to fade. The Prince also recognises Sedaras pragmatic intelligence. His daughter Angelica immediately charms Tancredi with her breathtaking beauty and wealth.

A short time later, the young man asks the Princes permission to marry Angelica. Stella, Don Fabrizios wife, does not take this well, considering a marriage between a noble and the daughter of an upstart as an unsuitable match. Others, like Don Ciccio, also do not view the union favourably: how foul, Excellency! It's the end of the Falconeris, and of the Salinas too (p. 35). For his part, Don Fabrizio turns out to be prepared to adapt and approves of the marriage.

Angelica visits the Salinas house for the first time as Tancredis fiance. The whole residence seems run-down, a sign that the nobilitys decline has already begun, but also laden with a certain sensual atmosphere. Indeed, the romantic promenades and games of the two lovers result in a sexual tension which permeates the castle.

A whole chapter is dedicated to Father Pirrones visit to his family in San Cono. This little digression allows Tomasi to highlight the living conditions of peasants and focus on the priest, tasked with untangling a complex family affair. His niece Angelica, who is three months pregnant, was seduced by the son of Turi, from the rival branch of the family. The quarrel goes back generations and began with the theft of some almond trees. The father settles the situation by marrying the two lovers.

While out hunting, the Prince has a conversation with Don Ciccio about a plebiscite on unification in Donnafugata. Ciccio denounces this referendum, which he sees as rigged and calls the stupid annulment of the first expression of liberty ever offered them [the people] (p. 33). Indeed, under pressure from several prominent local citizens, the Sicilians vote overwhelmingly in favour of unification, as does paradoxically the Prince. He believes that, by adapting to the changes which are coming, he can save his family from the general fall of the aristocracy. Indeed, unification will lead to the liberalisation of power, stripping the aristocracy of its privileges and facilitating the rise of the new bourgeois class of businessmen.