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- Reading time of the summarized text: 14 minutes

"A Sicilian Romance" is a gothic novel written by Ann Radcliffe and published anonymously in 1790. The story revolves around the fallen nobility of the Mazzini family in Sicily. The plot is narrated by a tourist who learns about their turbulent history from a monk at the ruins of their castle. The Marquis Mazzini's daughters, Emilia and Julia, are beautiful and accomplished young ladies. Julia falls in love with the Italian count Hippolitus de Vereza, but her father insists she marry Duke de Luovo instead. Julia attempts to elope with Hippolitus but is ambushed by her father, who seemingly kills Hippolitus. Julia escapes and finds refuge in the haunted southern apartments of the castle, where she discovers her long-imprisoned mother. The Marquis's new wife is accused of infidelity and poisons the Marquis before stabbing herself. Before dying, the Marquis confesses to his son Ferdinand about his mother's imprisonment. Ferdinand finds Julia and his mother, who have already been freed by Hippolitus. They are joyfully reunited at a lighthouse on the coast. The novel explores the psychology of terror and poetic descriptions, revealing the secrets of Sicily's aristocracy.