What if you left the drawing rooms of the English aristocracy behind to explore other worlds? For once, these historical series take us to Italy and Spain, into the heart of the 19th century, on the brink of major social upheaval.
Historical series set in the 19th century often tend to focus on idealised worlds, where high-society balls and court intrigues shape the daily lives of a rigid, highly codified aristocracy. And more often than not, these hit dramas are set in England, as with Bridgerton or Downton Abbey.
But that would be to forget that this hierarchical society also existed in other countries, particularly around the Mediterranean. The decline of traditional elites, the rise of the bourgeoisie and deep social upheavals... From Italy to Spain, here are five little-known historical series that explore the era from a fresh perspective.
The Leopard, a dive into Sicilian aristocracy
Adapting The Leopard, both a famous novel and film, was no small challenge. And yet the mini-series released on Netflix in 2025 proves itself more than worthy. Just like its inspirations, it plunges us into Sicily in the 1860s, in the midst of a revolutionary period. We follow Prince Salina as he watches his world turned upside down by the rise of the bourgeoisie. Forced to adapt, he must accept the marriage between his nephew Tancredi and the mayor’s daughter, at the expense of his own daughter’s feelings.
While Luchino Visconti’s film placed the political dimension at the forefront, the series focuses more on a romantic rivalry. A more accessible reinterpretation, which nevertheless recreates the atmosphere of the period with precision.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-aZV95YSr0
The Law According to Lidia Poët, Italy’s first female lawyer
With The Law According to Lidia Poët, we head to Turin in 1883. Lidia Poët, newly admitted to the bar, sees her dream collapse when a ruling by the Court of Appeal forbids her from practising because she is a woman. Refusing to give in, she joins her brother’s law firm, where she works in the shadows while preparing her comeback.
Inspired by true events, the series retraces the story of Italy’s first female lawyer. Each episode revolves around a different case, from murder and poisoning to unusual mysteries, giving the series a fairly detective-led dimension.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyIeHa0zvXM
The Lady's Companion, the Spanish Bridgerton
The Lady's Companion takes place at the end of the 19th century, in the highest circles of Madrid’s aristocracy. The story? That of Elena Bianda, the most renowned chaperone in the capital. Her mission: to supervise young women from good families, monitor their acquaintances and protect their reputation until marriage.
Hired by Don Pedro Mencía, a wealthy widower, she must look after his three daughters and find them suitors worthy of their rank. But the young women refuse to obey convention, and Elena herself finds her certainties shaken by the charismatic Santiago.
While it may look similar to Bridgerton at first glance, the series aims to be funnier and bolder. A good Spanish series to discover on Netflix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlvhhVAuLck&t=87s
Brigands: The Quest for Gold, from Italian bourgeois woman to feared outlaw
With Brigands: The Quest for Gold, we are offered a completely different setting. Gone are the hushed drawing rooms, replaced by the wild landscapes of southern Italy. The series follows Filomena, a young woman who abandons her bourgeois existence to join a band of brigands.
Just like The Leopard, the series is set in 1862, during Italian unification. A historical context that allows the series to immerse us in a dangerous world, where freedom is won day after day.
The series’ extra touch? It is inspired by a real-life figure: Filomena De Marco. Known as “Pennacchio”, she was considered one of the most famous female brigands of her time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp__vw0IExg
Gran Hotel, an investigation in a Spanish palace hotel
Last but not least, Gran Hotel takes us to 1905. Often compared to Downton Abbey, this Spanish series nevertheless stands apart thanks to its detective-style plot.
We follow Julio Olmedo, a young man from a modest background who arrives at the Grand Hotel to find his sister, Cristina, who works there as a maid. But once there, he learns that she has been dismissed and has been missing for several weeks. Julio then gets himself hired under a false identity in order to investigate from within.
Relationships between aristocrats and servants, impossible love, betrayals, twists and turns… This series skilfully blends an Agatha Christie-style mystery with the setting of a period palace hotel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_6KL7RY3pg
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- This period drama set in New York in 1895, produced by Shonda Rhimes, was meant to be the ‘American Downton Abbey’—but things didn’t go as planned
- This period drama set in New York in 1895, produced by Shonda Rhimes, was meant to be the ‘American Downton Abbey’—but things didn’t go as planned
