
Escaped prisoner Cesare Angelotti seeks refuge in a church where his sister, Marchesa Attavanti, has concealed women's clothing for a disguise. There, Cesare meets old friend and painter Mario Cavaradossi, who vows to help the convict avoid recapture. Before the two men can leave, Mario's lover Floria Tosca bursts into the church, and she becomes suspicious of the strange woman by her beloved's side.