“L’Alba dei Leoni”, the new book of Florio saga by Stefania Auci is best-selling book in Italy

In recent years, the historical novel has once again established itself as one of the public favorite genres, capable of bringing distant eras back to life through rich detail and the immersive pull of compelling storytelling. At the same time, the growing passion for “period dramas”, which increasingly inspire successful TV series, confirms how the allure of the past continues to exert a strong fascination, allowing us to explore lives, settings, and stories which still resonate today, including many tied to the world of Italian wine. It is within this tradition that the new novel in the Florio saga, “L’Alba dei Leoni” by Stefania Auci (Editrice Nord, 2026, 464 pages, cover price 22 euros), finds its place. The book, the third installment and a “prequel”, currently sits at No. 1 in Italy “Top 10” bestselling titles and narrates the rise of the Palermo-based entrepreneurial family who transformed a small spice shop into an economic and wine empire, brought to global prominence thanks to the success of Marsala wine. This narrative universe, which intertwines history, enterprise, and winemaking tradition, was built by Stefania Auci, as the author herself explained in an interview with WineNews through extensive research on 19th-century Sicily and the decisive role Marsala played in the Florio family ascent, a. The success of her novels has even inspired a television series produced by Disney+, reviving widespread interest in this family epic.
But, alongside this new release, other works and studies have been published focusing on historical figures from the Italian wine world, individuals who have left a deep impact on the land and on the cultural heritage of the country. Such as Juliette Colbert, the last Marchesa di Barolo, a pivotal figure in Piedmontese winemaking and credited with the birth of the “king” of Italian wines. Her extraordinary life is retold in “Sangue delle Langhe. La saga dei Barolo” by Marina Marazza (Edizioni Solferino). She is also honored today with a sculpture by the artist Garbolino Rù, commissioned by Opera Barolo, endorsed by the City of Turin, and created with the support of the Abbona family, custodians of this legacy at the Marchesi di Barolo cellars. The statue, located in Palazzo Barolo in Turin, is the first monument dedicated to a woman in the history of the city, commemorating Juliette Colbert efforts to raise awareness about the conditions of women prisons in Italy during the years of national unification. Among the works which have left an indelible mark on historical fiction, there are great classics and family sagas such as the timeless “The Leopard” by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, which portrays the slow decline of Sicilian aristocracy in the 19th century through the eyes of Prince Fabrizio Salina. The novel was adapted into a cinematic masterpiece by Luchino Visconti in 1963 and has now inspired a successful Netflix series. Donnafugata, one of the wineries central to Sicily wine renaissance, and whose name derives from the lands of the novel protagonist, has even dedicated a limited edition of its most iconic wine, “Mille e Una Notte”, to the series.
This passion for wine history also crosses borders, as shown by the story of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, the “Grande Dame” of Champagne, who created the first vintage cuvée and became one of the earliest modern female entrepreneurs. Founder of the Veuve Clicquot (Lvmh) empire, she is the protagonist of the film “Madame Clicquot. La grande signora dello Champagne”, a biopic directed by Thomas Napper and starring Haley Bennett and Tom Sturridge. Similarly, “La ragazza delle meraviglie. L’incredibile storia di Joséphine D’Yquem”, the historical novel by Christel De Lassus (Slow Food Editore), transports readers to late 18th-century France to follow Françoise-Joséphine de Sauvage, the woman who transformed Château d’Yquem into a symbol of excellence.