Francesco has no intention of putting his soul in peace and therefore decides to stab his rival in love. Olimpia, on the other hand, is a good woman and she will forgive this gesture and also save her life. Meanwhile Pietro de Leonardis is forced to flee. He tries to reach Rome where he wants to enlist, but is kidnapped by two brigands: Naschella and Kyrieleison. Durable this period comes into contact with a reality he had never known. He realizes that his peasants are slaves of Colonel Cestra and notary Corticelli. For this reason, helped by Francesca, he decides to do something for them. The woman hopes that the count is now ready to live their love in the sunlight but is wrong because he thinks only of the ideals he wants to fight, animated by the spirit of Giuseppe Mazzini .