A fairy tale of the misadventures of a beautiful but temperamental Neapolitan peasant, Isabella, when she meets the ill- tempered Spanish Prince Rodrigo Ferrante y Davalos. The King of Spain has ordered Rodrigo to choose a wife among seven Italian Princesses, but he is smitten by the lowly peasant.

In Naples at the end of the 19th century, Nicola Bellizzi dreams of becoming a lawyer. However, when he seeks the reason that people are reluctant to help him in his goals, he discovers that some of his blood relations are high-ranking members of the Mafia. He tries to break away from his family obligations, but falls into a life of crime and violence.

Se l'invenzione della prima macchina calcolatrice fu dettata a Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) dal desiderio di aiutare il padre, i suoi successivi sviluppi negli studi matematici e scientifici si alternarono alla speculazione filosofica e religiosa, che sfociò in una tormentata adesione al giansenismo e nella stesura dei celebri "Pensieri".