The Leopard is a story of a decadent and dying aristocracy threatened by the forces of revolution and democracy. Set against the political upheavals of Italy in the 1860s, it focuses on don fabrizio, a sicilian prince of...The Leopard is a story of a decadent and dying aristocracy threatened by the forces of revolution and democracy. Set against the political upheavals of Italy in the 1860s, it focuses on don fabrizio, a sicilian prince of immense sensual appetites, wealth, and great personal magnetism.