Lazzaro (Adriano Tardiolo) is a simple-minded young peasant, while Tancredi (Luca Chicovani) is a proud young nobleman. He lives in the isolated town of Inviolata, which is ruled by the Marchioness Anoscina de Luna (Nicoleta Braschi). The young peasant and the young noble meet and become friends. One day, Tancredi stages a kidnapping in the hope of getting his mother's ransom, but ends up attracting the police...