Set-Jetting In Sicily: Visit The Filming Locations Of Netflix’s The Leopard

The Netflix series The Leopard has attracted many fans, not only for the storyline but also for the settings used to film it. It is possible to visit the iconic Baroque square in Palermo, Sicily that features in the show, as well as the lavish palazzo in Catania – the real backdrops from the series.

Set-jetting the scenes of Netflix’s hit series, The Leopard

Netflix has recently released a new series titled The Leopard which is full of scenes of the political upheaval in Sicily in the 1860s. However, while the storylines are excellent, the sumptuous settings in which it is filmed have fans truly excited. This makes the new series the latest onscreen drama a location perfect for the new travel trend of set-jetting.

The series is adapted from the Italian novel Il Gattopardo by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and takes place as the revolutionary Garibaldi seizes Sicily during his efforts to unify Italy. Throughout the episodes, fans see the city of Palermo preparing to live through the Redshirt army’s invasion.

Meanwhile, Sicily’s capital is full of gorgeous Baroque architecture, making it the perfect set for the show. Read on to learn more about the filming locations for The Leopard in iconic Palermo.

The Quattro Canti in the city is a crossroads with four curved facades, including statues and coats of arms, while Piazza Pretoria features its grandiose fountain and its many sculptures.

Palace for a Prince

In the series, on the outskirts of Palermo is Salina Palace, the home of Don Fabrizio, the Prince of Salina, whose privileges are under threat by the new regime. The palace is the real-life Villa Valguarnera in Bagheria, just outside the city. This noble summer retreat and its vast estate were designed in the 18th century, offering an oval front court and Pompeian-style frescoed interiors.

For those with the budget, it is possible to get fully immersed while set-jetting by renting the family home, currently under the attention of Princess Vittoria Alliata, who at the age of 16 translated the Lord of the Rings into Italian.

The palatial home can accommodate up to six guests among its many bedrooms, dining rooms, drawing rooms and a ballroom, as well as a spacious sunny terrace.

Palazzo Comitini in central Palermo

For those without the cash, they can visit Palazzo Comitini, which lies in the center of Palermo. The palace is now open to the public and was built in the 18th century for Michele Gravina Cruillas, the prince of Comitini.

Once again, the breathtaking interiors of the noble Palazzo Comitini in Palermo, Sicily ✨

Fully accessible and open to the public

A glimpse into the grandeur of the past pic.twitter.com/o5JxQpNxPd

— Mambo Italiano (@mamboitaliano__) March 14, 2025

The main public room in the palace is the Sala Martorana, boasting the Triumph of Love fresco by Gioacchino Martorana. Here, the Salina family dines in the Netflix series.

Countryside and the center of Syracuse

Meanwhile, the Salina family’s country escape is the fictional Donnafugata, nestling in rural Sicily. Moreover, the natural setting from The Leopard is the Calanchi del Cannizzola. This wild area near Catania in Sicily is known as the island’s desert. Here, yellow grassy plains and dry hillocks form a surreal striking landscape, ideal for the Netflix show.

Town center of Donnafugata filmed in Ortigia

The scenes from The Leopard, playing the town center of Donnafugata, were filmed in Ortigia, an island located off mainland Syracuse, considered to be the city’s historic quarter. The island is accessible by two bridges, and while it is small, the area is full of 17th, 18th and 19th-century buildings.

Moreover, the Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco in the main square of Ortigia is a Baroque beauty that plays the role of the exterior of the Salina palace in Donnafugata.

This spring and summer will be the perfect time to go set-jetting the iconic and Baroque scenes of the Netflix series, The Leopard.