In July 1832, Italians patriots hiding out in Aix-en-Provence, France, are betrayed by one of their own, and Austrians agents are on their trail. One patriot, Giacomo, is dragged away and executed. His wife runs off to warn their friend, Angelo Pardi (Olivier Martinez), a young Italian nobleman in France raising money for the Italian unification against Austrian Empire. As the agents descend on his apartment, Angelo escapes into the countryside.