Aahana Swrup
‘The Leopard’ is a historical political show that transports the audience to 19th-century Sicily, where the efforts toward the Unification of Italy are moving forward in full force. Amidst this rapidly changing socio-political environment, Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, and his family remain at the center of their kingdom’s new future. While the Prince himself remains reserved to his aristocratic ways, his most beloved nephew, Tancredi, arms himself with the opposite philosophy and joins Garibaldi’s revolutionary army. Meanwhile, Fabrizio’s daughter, Concetta, holds a special place in her heart for the young man, but as the tides of progress arrive, her cousin’s attention is diverted elsewhere by socialite Angelica and her playing father, Sedara. As such, torn between different responsibilities, Fabrizio fights to hold on to his family’s past glory as the future knocks down his palace’s doors. SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Leopard Recap
In 1860, under the threat of General Giuseppe Garibaldi’s movement of Italy’s Unification, the city of Palermo remains under strict guard. Nonetheless, the rules of curfew don’t apply to Prince Fabrizio Corbera of Salina when he arrives at the town late one night to fetch his daughter from her stay at the covenant. Concetta, her father’s openly favorite ward, is all too pleased to be rid of the abbey’s rules and return home to her parents and siblings. However, she’s a little more eager to see her cousin, Tancredi, another one of Fabrizio’s blatant favorites. Despite the Prince’s favor—and monthly allowance—his nephew holds contradictory opinions of his own against the Bourbon Dynasty’s rule. For the same reason, he sets off to join Garibaldi’s army.
Even though the rumors of Tancredi’s involvement with the revolution threaten to tarnish Fabrizio’s family name—much to his eldest son, Paolo’s displeasure—the Prince allows his nephew his proclivities. Yet, once it becomes evident that the young man needs Fabrizio’s help or he runs the risk of governmental execution, Fabrizio swoops to his aid at once. In fact, he even trades away his rights over the lucrative Argivocale land to save his nephew’s life. Still, he has a plan to steal from the new owner, Governor Leonforte, with the help of a light-fingered groundskeeper, Russo. Meanwhile, even though Tancredi joins the Corbera family in the opulence again, his heart remains with the rebels.
Therefore, once Garibaldi and his army of Red Shirts arrive on the shores of Sicily, Tancredi runs off again to join them. Even though it pains Fabrizio to know his nephew’s reckless sense of adventure may kill him one day, he can do little else but support him from the shadows, even in this. In a matter of months, Garibaldi conquers Sicily—and his men, who were once executed in the streets—are welcomed as heroes by the city. Although this new change in order presents some grievances to Fabrizio, he manages to overcome them with the help of his trusty daughter and nephew duo. Thus, despite the tighter governance, the Prince and his family arrive in Donnafugata to spend their summer.
On the trip to the town, Concetta and Tancredi grow closer, their feelings for one another becoming more prominent. Eventually, news of their flirtation reaches the former’s parents. Her mother, Stella, remains in favor of their relationship. However, things take a turn in Donnafugata, where the royal family’s path crosses with Angelica, Mayor Sedara’s alluring daughter. Even Fabrizio remains weak to her charm. Thus, it isn’t long before Tancredi has also been beguiled by her beauty—seemingly forgetting all about Concetta. Consequently, when the time comes, Fabrizio is forced to choose between his nephew and his daughter’s happiness.
Inevitably, Fabrizio decides to support Tancredi’s marriage to Angelica—to fortify his nephew’s marriage into a wealthy family and keep his daughter away from an unloving man. Nevertheless, Concetta feels betrayed by the decision and decides to return to the covenant, turning her back on her father. This causes much friction between the father and his daughter. In the meantime, Sedara sets his sights on Fabrizio’s land. When the opportunity presents itself, he orchestrates the events that lead up to Paolo’s death. In the wake of the tragic loss, Concetta returns to her family, once again standing by her grieving father’s side. She remains a supportive pillar when the Prince is invited to Turin to discuss an offer to join the new government as a Senator.
This visit proves to be a difficult one for both Fabrizio and his daughter. As Concetta is forced to see Tancredi and Angelica again, she’s met with the startling realization that her cousin’s marriage is unfaithful. Even so, despite Tancredi’s attempts, she refuses to make herself his mistress. Likewise, the Prince also comes to the same conclusion after realizing his niece-in-law is sleeping with a French ambassador to secure her husband’s future position in Paris. Thus, both Corberas leave Turin disheartened by the turn Tancredi has taken with his life. Fortunately, something promising is also born of the trip as Concetta’s path crosses with Count Bombello again, who is as smitten with her as he was on their first meeting. As a result, she decides to start a new chapter of her life by marrying the man, with her father’s reluctant blessing.
The Leopard Ending: Why Does Concetta Call Off the Wedding?
Even though Concetta and Bombello enter each other’s orbit early into the story, their romance doesn’t emerge until much later. Upon their first meeting, the royal heiress is still heads-over-heels in love with her cousin, Tancredi. As a result, she only has eyes for him and remains uninterested in the attention of other men. Initially, Fabrizio is able to use Bombello’s interest in his daughter to secure a permit for summer travel to Donnafugata. Nonetheless, afterward, when the Count-turned-Colonel attempts to strike a correspondence with the young woman, the Prince strikes it down in the face of his daughter’s disinterest.
Fabrizio has an open soft spot for Concetta, and he’d be willing to grant her almost anything. Similarly, he favors Tancredi—even more than his own sons—and wouldn’t outright turn down a union between him and his daughter. Still, the young man chooses Angelica over Concetta—partly because of the former’s seductive beauty and partly because he wants something of his own that doesn’t come from Fabrizio. In turn, the Prince complies and facilitates the marriage between his nephew and the mayor’s daughter. Inevitably, this leaves Concetta heartbroken. Although she is almost ready to banish herself to a life in service of God, life eventually pulls her back by her father’s side.
However, this time, when Bombello exhibits a similar interest in Concetta while she’s in Turin, she decides to undertake her own path. By marrying the Count, she can find a new life for herself out of her father’s bearing shadow and her cousin’s cruel heartbreak. Therefore, even though she loves her father dearly, she decides to reciprocate the Count’s advances, this time to secure a marriage that would take her far away from Sicily. In turn, Fabrizio—though saddened by the thought—allows his daughter her heart’s desire and agrees to give her away to Bombello. Concetta aggravates him even more when she demands a wedding in Milan rather than her family’s hometown.
Nevertheless, the course of the Corbera family’s future changes upon their attendance at the next ball in town. During this event, Fabrizio feels the worst of his diminishing health, which he keeps a secret from his family. On the other hand, a newly engaged Concetta meets Tancredi, reopening old wounds. Angelica’s disheartened words about how the other woman should have ended up with her husband further aggravate her. Therefore, when the man approaches her this time, she allows herself to get swept up in her feelings and steals a kiss. This moment solidifies to her that whatever future she may build with Bombello, it would forever be founded on a lie.
Yet, a bigger complication arrives after Concetta leaves the ball with her father and returns home to their Villa. At the estate, Fabrizio takes her to examine some of the roses he had gardened. Shortly afterward, the man collapses under the weight of his bellowing illness. Soon, it becomes evident that the Prince’s condition is fatal, a news that blankets his entire family in grief. In light of her father’s looming death, Concetta’s life is about to be forever changed. Her family would grow vulnerable without their patriarch and a proper heir. Therefore, she can’t help but feel it would be a disservice to her father’s life if she moved away to Milan—especially if it’s for a loveless marriage. For the same reason, she ultimately ends her engagement with Bombello.
How Does Fabrizio Die?
In the aftermath of the climactic ball—wherein Leopard shares an electrifying dance with Angelica—the secret of Prince’s worsening health emerges. He has been feeling unwell for some time now, experiencing spells of disorientation. As such, he was headed toward a doomed ending, even before the ball brought forth all the damning realities of the new future. In his opinion, the new society that will follow the golden age of the nobility and aristocracy is bound to be destructive and vulgar. As such, in some ways, his own doom arrives as a perfect metaphor for the end of his generation’s time.
As it turns out, Fabrizio has a tumor in his brain that has finally taken complete hold of his body. Thus, the Prince becomes feverish and bound to his deathbed, awaiting the end. During this time, his family grieves over him, including Francesco, his second oldest son, who will take over the family and its estate. Yet Fabrizio knows the boy isn’t prepared to accept the duties that will come with his new title—something the latter confesses on his own. Consequently, during his last moments, the dying man instructs his beloved daughter, Concetta, to look over the family and bear the weight of the duties that her brother won’t be able to. With amends made and tears shed, the Prince passes away.
What Happens to Argivocale? Does Sedara Buy the Land?
Before Fabrizio’s death, he had come to know about a brewing plan that Tancredi’s father-in-law. Sedara has been a cunning man from the beginning. Even though he had come from nothing, he played his cards right during the turn of the socioeconomic tide and secured himself great wealth. Furthermore, he trained his daughter, Angelica, to be the best among her peers and invite effortless attention from the most powerful of men. As such, she is able to catch Tancredi’s attention and secure a marriage with him. This helps Sedara gain access to the higher circles of society since his name becomes eternally attached to the Prince of Salina.
However, if that isn’t enough, Sedara now aims for the Prince’s old land, Argivocale. Fabrizio previously bartered the land away for Tancredi’s life. Now, Sedara is hoping to buy it from the current owner, Leonforte. Over the past few months, he has formed an alliance with the disloyal Russo, who has been thieving Leonforte out of his land’s resources. Thus, now that the land’s profits have been driven to the ground—while Russo’s men farm it for Sulphur—the governor will have no choice but to sell the land at an abysmally low price. Naturally, Fabrizio doesn’t wish to watch the same happen—deeming it as another nail in the coffin of the nobility’s old way of life.
In the aftermath of his death, Concetta ends up taking over the responsibility of watching over this land that has belonged to the Salina for decades. She guides her brother, Francesco, to buy the land—a feat previously impossible due to Fabrizio’s own dwindling finances. Nonetheless, Concetta beats Sedara at his own game by asking Tancredi to fund this transaction on behalf of the Corbera family. Thanks to his wife Angelica’s lucrative family money, the man is able to fulfill the request. As such, Argivocale once again comes under the ownership of the Corbera family, thanks to Fabrizio’s witty daughter.
What Happens to Tancredi? Does He End Up With Concetta?
Ultimately, after Concetta calls off her engagement with Bombello and Tancredi makes the reality of his persisting feelings known, their relationship comes to stand at a crossroads. The duo have shared a budding romance throughout their youth as they grew up under Fabrizio’s guidance. Between intelligent conversation and kindred interests, they developed deep romantic feelings for one another. Nevertheless, Tancredi runs away from it all in pursuit of greatness outside of Fabrizio’s shadow. In his mind, marrying Concetta would be taking him from the Prince, forming another undeniable tether between the two.
This idea especially remains present in the presence of Angelica, an alluring woman who stirs the Tancredi’s desires. Therefore, he breaks Concetta’s heart and severs their future together. Yet, in the aftermath, he realizes the gravity of his mistakes. Shortly after his marriage to Angelica, he realizes how little they have in common. Eventually, this leads to shared infidelity between the couple. Tancredi begins sleeping around while Angelica has her own affairs with prominent men to peddle her husband’s career forward.
While living this life, Tancredi can’t help but reminisce about his connection with Concetta. Therefore, he repeatedly tries to ignite an affair with her. Nonetheless, even though she has her moments of weakness, the woman never truly allows herself to surrender to such a reality. She has long criticized his father for his unfaithful ways and his mistress for her sinful choices. Thus, she refuses to relegate herself to the same reality. Even after her engagement with Bombello and her father’s death, she decides to keep the door closed for her potential romance with Tancredi. Instead, she simply asks for her cousin’s friendship—and nothing more.
