Lthe ability to climb the ladder of society and the search for redemption. The brilliant intuitions and ostentatious opulence of those who have made it. The ability to make strategic agreements and the dream of a better future. On Disney+ the last four episodes of have been released The Lions of Sicily, series based on Stefania Auci’s novel about the Florio family which in 1799 he left Bagnara Calabra to seek his fortune in Palermo. And who in less than a century, from simple shopkeepers, became the richest entrepreneurs on the island.
The Lions of Sicilythe plot of the last episodes
The last episodes focus on the figure of Vincenzo Florio (Michele Riondino). In particular on the years leading to the marriage with Giulia Portalupi (Miriam Leone) and in which the rigid Sicilian society (accustomed to giving voice only to the nobles and reluctant to open up to the bourgeoisie) scales, developing ideas that will overturn the Sicilian economy – and not only.
The counterpart is a personality that constantly seeks approval. He knows he is the son of shopkeepers and all the money in the world will not earn him the respect of the aristocracy. In particular, the fifth episode opens with the escape of Giulia, her mother-in-law Giuseppina (Donatella Finocchiaro) and her two daughters to the sea. Palermo is infested with cholera and staying in the city is too risky. She therefore skips the wedding with Vincenzo for obvious reasons of gathering, and nevertheless, Giuseppina continues to make her condition as her lover a burden.
But there’s more. Vincent he is seriously in love, and finally marries Giulia when the male heir (Ignazio) is born; unfortunately he fights with his lust for power and the idea that only a blue-blooded wife could give him the respect of society. Vincenzo’s search for confirmation turns into an unmotivated thirst for power that leads him to make several mistakesarising from a sort of delirium of omnipotence that clouds him.
“The Lions of Sicily”, Miriam Leone is Giulia Portalupi. (Maria Marin)
Giulia Portalupi, feminist ante litteram
However Giulia always remains close to him and does so even when the noblewomen of Palermo do not hesitate to humiliate her. She is a strong, modern woman, with ideas and ideals out of the ordinary. And when the revolution breaks out in Sicily in 1848, she is the one who explains to Vincenzo what is happening. And it is she who listens to the speeches of the revolutionaries.
Meanwhile Vincenzo thinks about how to expand more and more. And his entrepreneurial ability, which on paper represents megalomania, is in reality a set of important intuitions. Between all, tuna in oil, the production of Marsala and the construction of a fleet with which Sicily can be independent. Operations that make the company even more prosperous and they transform Vincenzo Florio into the richest man in Sicily.
Well, noble titles cannot be purchased with money. AND Vincenzo chases the dream that one of his children – Angelina, Giuseppina and Ignazio – marries an aristocrat. The passport, according to him, to gain respect from anyone. Angelina and Giuseppina will soon live their lives, while Ignazio (Eduardo Scarpetta), molded in his image and likeness, agrees to marry a noblewoman, Giovanna d’Ondes (Adele Cammarata).
Too bad, however, that his heart already beats for another woman: the French Camille. And it is only when Giulia puts him face to face with his own human failures that Vincenzo will begin to understand what the true values to pursue are.
“The Lions of Sicily”, Michael Riondino is Vincenzo Florio. (Maria Marin)
The Lions of Sicilythe review
The series strictly follows the first volume of Stefania Auci’s novel (the second is titled The winter of the Lions and concludes the Florio saga with the story of the life of Ignazio, Vincenzo’s son). The dialogues focus not only on the family’s entrepreneurial successes, but above all on the human aspect. Each of them is told on a character level. Among all, the protagonists Vincenzo and Giulia stand out. He is a man capable of looking beyond, of perceiving the near future. Giulia is a modern, intelligent womandetermined to be on par with her man and not take a step back.
Together they are a strong, invincible couple, capable of opening all doors. Even the most difficult ones. Their only problem is Vincenzo’s stubbornness, the chauvinism which permeates him and which Giulia tries to undermine. The story is compelling. Private facts and historical events mix and outline a complete – and complex – picture of 19th century Sicily. The photograph underlines the contrasts between the opulence of the villa in Arenella, where the Florios wintered and spent happy days, and the grayness of Palermo, a city collapsing due to cholera and insurrection.
The cast returns multi-faceted profiles full of nuances. Michele Riondino plays an exceptional Vincenzo Florio, with all his strengths and weaknesses. With the flaws, above all. Miriam Leone and Donatella Finocchiaro are excellent, the latter in the role of a dry and angry Giuseppina. In the end, the musical carpet. Not classical or classical music, but modern, contemporary songs that create a bridge between the past and the present (also present in the soundtrack is Laura Pausini with Last).
Why The Lions of Sicily it is not just the story of a family that left a mark. It is also a much more modern and contemporary slice of reality than one might imagine. There is greed, the lust for power, the need for affirmation and to feel accepted, the disparity between men and women. Archaic and very current themes at the same time. It is the story of many humanities, lived in a more modern and advanced Sicily than the one often told.
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