Chapter VII
Timeline
History, Novel, and Author Intertwined
Congress of Vienna
After Napoleon's defeat, the old monarchies are restored across Europe. Ferdinand I returns to the throne of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The Risorgimento begins as a whisper.
Carbonari Revolts
Secret revolutionary societies (the Carbonari) launch uprisings in Naples and Sicily. They are crushed by Austrian troops.
Ferdinand II Ascends
The new Bourbon king begins as a reformer, building railways and promoting industry. He will eventually become the reactionary 'King Bomba.'
Year of Revolutions
Revolutions erupt across Europe. In Sicily, rebels declare independence from Naples. Ferdinand II grants a constitution — then revokes it. The revolution is crushed.
Birth of Giuseppe Tomasi
Giuseppe Tomasi is born in Palermo, the only child of Prince Giulio Maria Tomasi and Beatrice Toscolo. He will grow up in the fading world of the Sicilian aristocracy.
Messina Earthquake
A devastating earthquake destroys much of the Tomasi family's estates, including the country house at Santa Margherita Belice. Young Giuseppe is 12.
Death of Ferdinand II
The Bourbon king dies and is succeeded by his 23-year-old son, Francis II. The kingdom is already weakening — Garibaldi is preparing his expedition.
Garibaldi Lands at Marsala
Garibaldi and his Thousand red-shirts wade ashore at Marsala, Sicily. The expedition that will change Italy begins. In the novel, this is the news that arrives during evening prayers in Chapter I.
Battle of Calatafimi
Garibaldi defeats a Bourbon force three times his size. His famous cry: 'Here we make Italy or die!' Sicilian peasants begin joining his army.
Fall of Palermo
After three days of street fighting, Garibaldi takes Palermo. The Bourbon garrison retreats. Most of Sicily falls within weeks. In the novel, this is the background to Chapters I–III.
The Plebiscite
Sicily votes to join the new Kingdom of Italy. The results — 432,053 for, 667 against — are widely suspected to be rigged. This is the scene of Chapter III of the novel.
Kingdom of Italy Proclaimed
Victor Emmanuel II is declared the first King of Italy. But the new kingdom is poor, divided, and does not yet include Venice or Rome.
Death of Cavour
The architect of unification dies at age 50, just months after the kingdom he created was proclaimed. He never sees Venice or Rome join Italy.
The Brigands' War Begins
Southern Italy and Sicily erupt in guerrilla warfare against the new Italian state. The government sends 100,000 soldiers. Tens of thousands die. The war lasts until 1865.
Venice Joins Italy
After the Austro-Prussian War, Venice is ceded to Italy. The peninsula is nearly unified — only Rome remains outside.
Rome Becomes Capital
French troops withdraw from Rome to fight the Franco-Prussian War. Italian soldiers enter the city. Rome becomes the capital of united Italy.
Death of Don Fabrizio (in the novel)
In Chapter VII of The Leopard, the Prince dies in Palermo, delirious, dreaming of planets and stars. He is the last of his line in spirit, if not in blood.
Italy Enters World War I
Lampedusa enlists as an artillery officer — the same branch as his fictional Prince. He will be captured at Caporetto in 1917.
The Epilogue (in the novel)
In the final chapter of The Leopard, Concetta sorts through her father's relics. The stuffed dog Bendicò is discovered to be a fraud. She throws it away. The past dissolves.
Marriage
Lampedusa marries Alexandra Wolff Stomersee, a Baltic-German anthropologist. They live in separate apartments in Palermo — an arrangement that puzzles their contemporaries.
Destruction of Palazzo Lampedusa
Allied bombing destroys the family palazzo in Palermo, including the library Lampedusa loved. It is the final loss of his inherited world.
Beginnings of the Novel
After attending a literary conference, Lampedusa begins writing The Leopard with extraordinary intensity. He completes it in approximately two years.
Manuscript Rejected
The completed novel is rejected by Mondadori and then by Einaudi — Italy's most prestigious publisher. Elena Croce calls it 'old-fashioned.' It is a devastating blow.
Death of Lampedusa
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa dies of lung cancer in Rome at age 60. He is buried in the Capuchin catacombs in Palermo. He never sees his novel published.
Publication of Il Gattopardo
Feltrinelli publishes The Leopard. It becomes an immediate sensation, selling over a million copies. The Einaudi rejection becomes one of publishing's most infamous mistakes.
Strega Prize
The Leopard wins Italy's most prestigious literary award. It is translated into dozens of languages and recognized as a masterpiece of world literature.
Visconti's Film
Luchino Visconti's film adaptation premieres, starring Burt Lancaster as the Prince, Claudia Cardinale as Angelica, and Alain Delon as Tancredi. It wins the Palme d'Or at Cannes and becomes one of the greatest films ever made.