In 1838 Southern Italy within the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Giovanni (Claudio Amendola) and Costanza (Monica Bellucci) are born on the very same day in a village ruled by the feudal Barons of Sangermano. Giovanni is the son of a slain bandit, while Costanza is the noble baroness heir raised alongside him. As they grow up, an intense romantic bond forms between them despite their vast social divide. Forced into an arranged marriage of convenience to a wealthy nobleman named Gennaro Lo Turco, Costanza is separated from Giovanni. Refusing to accept her fate, Giovanni turns to outlawry, leading a gang of bandits into the woods. When Giovanni ambushes Costanza's wedding carriage, she flees with him into the wilderness, choosing a perilous life of rebellion and love over aristocracy.