Lions of Sicily. The Florio Saga

A sweeping family saga about the Florios, whose story spans over 150 years and is intertwined with the ups and downs of Sicily.

After the earthquake, the two Florio brothers, Paolo and Ignazio, move to Palermo and open a small spice shop. The locals receive the newcomers coldly, referring to them behind their backs as tramps. Soon one of the brothers dies, leaving his wife Giuseppina and little Vincenzo in the care of the other. Ignazio and Giuseppina are secretly in love with each other, but dare not admit it even to themselves. Suffering from unrequited love, Ignazio directs all his energies into developing the business and succeeds in it. Soon, the grown-up Vincenzo joins in managing the family affairs, who is also ahead waiting for love dramas and much, much hard work, thanks to which the Florio house will emerge. A new Ignazio will follow, and this will repeat from generation to generation.

The novel has a second part “Lions of Sicily. The Decline of an Empire.” In it, Stefania Auci continues the story of the heroes, and the reader becomes aware of the reference to Gabriel Garcia Marquez's book “One Hundred Years of Solitude.”