Two medical students at the University of Naples leave the library and race through town down to the beach. At the Cajafa palace, Princess Elena is called to her father's study where they discuss the ball to take place that evening.

Giorgio takes his friend Giuseppe to a ball in honor of Princess Elena Cajafa. Giuseppe feels out of place, but Giorgio insists on having him meet some important people, hoping it will help his career, not to mention the entrance exam they have the following day.

Giuseppe and Elena exchange a few words during the dance, but then he goes home to study. The next day, at the exam, his friend is having a hard time.

Moscati has to prove himself at the exam, to demonstrate whether he is just presumptuous or can back it up by knowing what to do with the patient before him. His friend Piromallo waits for him outside, meanwhile.

Giuseppe and Giorgio are dressed to go out on the town. They get temporarily sidelined by a kid trying to break into a house, who then falls. They go to a nightspot where there is a performer Giorgio has his eye on.

The evening Giorgio planned to spend with Cloe doesn't turn out as he had hoped. The next day at the hospital, on their first day of work, Giorgio and Giuseppe get to know Sister Helga who rules with an iron fist.

Giuseppe walks through the market and witnesses a scene whereby a carabiniere policeman chases down a kid who was trying to steal some food. The kid is one Giuseppe has seen before.

Giuseppe's passion for his work puts his patients' well-being ahead of following the rules and getting chastised by his superiors. Giorgio is much more easygoing and as soon as the shift is over, is ready to have fun.

Giuseppe stays late at work, which he is not allowed to do, and he gets an unusual visitor.

Moscati continues to disobey the rules of the hospital. Nobody can deny, however, that he is having some success with his methods.

Giorgio goes to see Cloe perform again, while Giuseppe takes Elena to a place that isn't easy to reach. The two friends are clearly in love.

In 1906 Vesuvius erupted, its worst eruption of the entire 20th century. Torre del Greco, a town near Vesuvius, was particularly affected. Buildings collapsed, sick people were trapped inside the hospitals, and Giuseppe and Giorgio rushed there to help out.

Moscati risks his life to save some of the patients from the hospital. It took courage and patience.

Both Giuseppe and Giorgio take the exam for the available position. They each have to diagnose a patient and the examination board isn't kind to either of them.

Giorgio goes to see Cloe perform, but afterwards, he makes an important decision. Giuseppe finally finds Aniello, who is not doing well at all.

Moscati can't find Aniello in the hospital and discovers he had run off. Moscati goes out looking for him.

Moscati discovers what Aniello died of and feels profoundly aggrieved and powerless. He seems to have doubts about his role as a doctor.

Sister Helga and Moscati give the patient a bath and talk about how medicine is nothing without love. Moscati has some unorthodox teaching methods, as well as some novel "therapy" for his patients.

Giorgio is getting settled in his new office and gets an unexpected and unwelcome visitor. Giuseppe has a big evening ahead of him with Elena and her father, but he gets some news he has to take care of and is delayed.

After being left by the taxi driver, Giuseppe goes in search of the Esposito home. The taxi driver was right about the danger. Meanwhile, Giorgio shows up at the dinner and greets Elena and her father.

Elena is at the fancy dinner, and is worried about Giuseppe, but at the same time, she is fascinated by the after-dinner entertainment. Giorgio is taking advantage of Giuseppe's absence. Meanwhile, Giuseppe is working against the clock, realizing that his patient, from one of the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods of Naples, has a terrible disease.

Moscati and his assistants do what they can, but they discover that the government has a different view of the situation.

Moscati tries to calm the crowd of people and help them understand that it isn't necessary to burn all their household belongings, and that cholera is transmitted through their drinking water. He promises to help treat them as Elena watches the scene from afar.

Giuseppe would like to spend more time with Elena, but at the moment there is too much to do at the hospital. A woman brings a baby to the door of a church to leave it, but she is suddenly taken ill and falls to the ground.

Cloe really does not want to stay in the hospital and Giuseppe finds a solution, but not everyone is thrilled about it.

Elena tries to convince her father that Giuseppe will change after they get married. He remains very skeptical. Giuseppe is spoon-feeding Cloe to give her some nourishment, meanwhile telling her how he decided to become a doctor.

Giuseppe goes to see Giorgio in his fancy doctor's office, hoping to convince him to see Cloe. It's clear Giorgio has chosen the career path of least resistance, and seems more interested in fine art and fine cigars, than in treating patients who need it.

Suor Helga is good at reading Giuseppe Moscati's moods and senses something is wrong. Giuseppe knows Elena is suffering on his account but at the same time, he can't help being dedicated to his patients over everything else. He writes Elena a letter and takes it to her house.

Nina goes back home to get some of her things and finds Cloe. She doesn't hide her resentment, but the two women end up having a conversation. Elena is clearly stufa (fed up) with Giuseppe never having time for her and she takes action.

Giuseppe, Cloe, and Nina have a relaxing moment together at home, but then a letter arrives for Giuseppe that challenges the lighthearted atmosphere they had created.

As her condition worsens, Cloe tells Giuseppe about the child she had abandoned, and makes him promise to find him.

As he had promised Cloe, Giuseppe continues to look for her little boy, with little success. Some children he treats aren't really ill, they're just not getting enough to eat. Italy enters the war. Some doctors go to the front, others stay behind.

In the piazza, Giuseppe discusses the war with some colleagues. He then runs into an old acquaintance. Later, in the lab, he talks about science and faith with his professor friend.

When Moscati arrives home, he has a huge surprise waiting for him: an endless stream of poor people. At the hospital, Sister Helga catches Arcangelo with a nurse and is furious.

Arcangelo and Sister Helga don't like each other much, but they have to work together to save the patient. At home, at lunch, Giuseppe has a strange feeling and rushes off.

Giuseppe's colleagues want to get Giuseppe away from the hospital because he makes too much "trouble." Giorgio has a suggestion for that.

Elena explains her health problem to Giuseppe and they also clarify some personal things. Giuseppe then takes her to a special place in the city.

Elena seems charmed by the orphans and Giuseppe explains to her that love has many pathways. At home, it becomes clear that Nina and Giuseppe have grave financial difficulties. He won't give up seeing patients, but comes up with an idea.

Pasquale is a bit heavy-handed in his attempt to manage the collecting of money from the more well-to-do patients and Giuseppe has to step in. He and Nina sell off many of their possessions and Nina has a hard time of it. At the end of a long day, Giuseppe gets a surprise visit

Elena goes to see Giuseppe together with little Antonio. She notices right away that the apartment is empty. At the hospital, one of Mussolini's federal agents is visiting and gives Moscati some troubling news.

Giuseppe goes to see Giorgio to see if he has the power to save the hospital from the new "reforms," but Giorgio has other priorities and rebuffs him.

Giuseppe's health is failing, but he won't accept Arcangelo and Nina's advice to get some rest. He seems to be well aware of his true condition and writes a letter to his loved ones. Elena brings Antonio home.

Even though Giuseppe's health is failing, he goes to see the needy in the poorest sections of Naples. Even when he gets home for dinner, the patients keep coming. He doesn't turn them away.

Giorgio is on his way home, but changes his mind and goes to Piazza del Gesù.

Giuseppe is very happy that Giorgio came to see him. The two friends have an important and sincere conversation.