A wealthy Italian household is turned upside down when a handsome stranger arrives, seduces every family member and then disappears. Each has an epiphany of sorts, but none can figure out who the seductive visitor was or why he came.

Pasquale takes all of his 12 children and runs away from Monza, looking for a house of a wealthy and generous awning. Having met on the way impoverished peasant, Pasquale takes him also, having granted the rank of "Half-Monk" and thus having gained rustic, but a reliable friend.

Two jerks are enlisted in the Italian army during W.W.1 and by pure luck manage to help win an important battle.

Rossellini’s biopic of the postwar Christian Democrat leader, Alcide De Gaspari, who was responsible for keeping the Communists out of power in the years that followed the fall of fascism.

Four short films by four different directors dealing with the principles of modern life.

The film shows how Italy's historic national hero Giuseppe Garibaldi (embodied by Renzo Ricci) leads a military campaign known as Expedition of the Thousand in 1860 and conquers Sicily and Naples. When the Bourbon monarchy has left Southern Italy, he supports Victor Emmanuel II of Italy who achieves a lasting unification under the aegis the House of Savoy. Roberto Rossellini has said he was prouder of this film than of any other film he ever made.

Ken Dakota's search for the murderer of his brother, killed by bandit Gary Stevens, at the behest of land owner Chris Malone. Dakota attempts to bring the men responsible for his brothers death to justice.

The retired general Antonio Cavalli is a nuisance to his family: to his wife Francesca who still works, to his son and to his daughter-in-law. Then he finds a job in a building firm. Only by chance Cavalli finds out that his salary is paid by his wife to keep him busy. But the general is well known as a very reliable man, and Sandrelli, the firm's owner, uses him and his name to win a valuable contract. When Sandrelli is arrested, the general finds the money to honour his debt but he is robbed while he is going to the bank...

Penniless Baron Tulicò, nicknamed Leopard, abandons his mistress, with whom he's had two sons, and marries a rich woman. The mistress tries to have her rights established with the help of her sons.

Tony and some friends put together a rock band to do some concerts and earn some money. Unfortunately the military service is incumbent, but fortunately the boys will find themselves in the same barracks.