Based on the famous historical novel by Alessandro Manzoni, and set between 1628 and 1630 in Lombardy, Northern Italy, during the Spanish domination, the film displays the marriage between two young textile workers, Renzo and Lucia. The 1922 version is one of the most ambitious and spectacular films in all Italian silent cinema, with remarkable mass scenes and some images that sparked controversy.

A young woman takes care of the just-born child of her late mother. Sacrificing her engagement and studies along the way.

The father of Anna teaches music. A manager of the variety convinces Anna to perform for him at a variety, promising in return to release the old songs of her father. Anna decides to perform in the Variety against the advice of her father.