The 'best period drama' is available to stream on Netflix and fans say it's 'five stars'

This historical series has been hailed as the "best period drama", and it is available to stream on Netflix. The Leopard is a historical drama television series based on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel of the same name, which was published in 1958. Directed by Tom Shankland, Giuseppe Capotondi, and Laura Luchetti, and is the second adaptation of the novel following Luchino Visconti's 1963 film. The series first aired on Netflix in March of this year. It stars Kim Rossi Stuart, Benedetta Porcaroli, Saul Nanni, and Deva Cassel.

The series synopsis reads: "The Leopard tells the story of Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, a Sicilian nobleman navigating a period of significant social and political upheaval during the Italian unification in the 1860s. As the old aristocratic order faces threats from the rising tide of change, Don Fabrizio must make difficult choices to safeguard his family's legacy, even if it means sacrificing personal happiness for his lineage."

House & Garden hailed The Leopard as the "best period drama" in thier ranking of 25 of the top historical series around. It said: "It was a brave move for Netflix to adapt The Leopard, the famous 1958 novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa about the vanishing world of the aristocracy in Sicily. The original 1963 film adaptation has legions of fans, and indeed has been how many people have discovered the magic of the book.

"The Netflix adaptation, which stars Kim Rossi Stuart as Don Fabrizio, Benedetta Porcaroli as his daughter Concetta, and Deva Cassel (Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel's daughter) as the nouveau riche Angelica, was filmed on location in Sicily, including the cities of Palermo, Catania, Trapani and Syracuse, which retain many of their 19th-century streetscapes, with other scenes also filmed in Rome and the surrounding Lazio countryside and Turin. As befits a book which laments the decadent, declining world of a grand aristocracy, the series is full of sun-baked palazzos with extravagant Baroque and Rococo interiors."

Fans too, have hailed the series, with one stating: "I would give it more than five stars -the best Netflix series I have ever watched!"

Another added: "Wow....fantastic. I honestly don't know that anything else needs to be said. You know quality filmmaking when you see it."

"This is a five-star production, with outstanding performances of the cast and the entire crew. If you are a cinema lover, you will notice the attention to the details," said a third.

The Leopard is available to stream on Netflix.