The Duke Marco visits to his country side estate after many years absence. His farmers wants him to stay and run the place while his lover wants him to sell it. All while a farmers daughter also enters his life.
In this delightful mixture of romance, comedy and music, the director turns back the wheel of time about sixty years and shows the audience an Italy of primitive railroads, high bicycles and the famous "dolce far niente." Taking the visit of a traveling opera company to a small town, where it is scheduled to present "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" and where one of the most important citizens is a retired opera singer, the scenario writer weaves a web of merry complications well calculated to keep the spectators in a happy mood.
To conquer his beautiful mother without insospettirne, Polidor dresses for women and can thus safely visit the house, but was immediately made the subject of attention of the father of the girl, unrepentant libertine. And when you discover the trick, barrel on Polidor, but also on the elderly Don Giovanni, by the jealous wife.
It seems that Zarre (Guido Celano), the man chosen to be the jockey for the Lupa contrada, and fiance' to Fiora (Leda Gloria), becomes enamored of a cafe' chanteuse. Bachicche, the jockey of a rival neighborhood, wants to get even with Zarre for a past offense and enlists the help of the chanteuse, Liliana (Laura Nucci).
In the huge steel factories in Terni (Umbria, Italy), two friends: Mario and Pietro, fight for the love of the same girl, Gina. Pietro dies because of a work accident at the factory. The other workers think Mario is responsible for the death of his friend. Mario, who is innocent, is forced to quit, but his love for Gina and his dedication to his job help him out of his crisis.
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.