During the Middle Ages, a traveling executioner hires an apprentice to learn the finer points of torture and execution, and a young girl is given by her parents to a Catholic convent.

Guido Brenta is in the navy during a war but returns home eager to resume his former life filled with romantic entanglements. However, he encounters disappointment as his father's financial struggles worsen. His sister, Rosy, is involved with wealthy Vieri Levrieri, and as Guido navigates complex family relationships and a tumultuous friend group, he falls in love with Eugenia, Vieri's sister. The friendships dissolve under pressure, leading to unexpected outcomes.