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.

Libero is looking for a birthday present for Maria. Giacinto, trying to be helpful, stops by with a friend who has a briefcase full of jewelry from Russia to sell. Will Libero have learned his lesson after the pillow affair?

What works in the relationship between Vera and Giuliano is partly the fact that they complement each other, like yin and yang. They talk about a biographical movie they made about Giordano Bruno, a 16th-century Italian philosopher and cosmological theorist, with Gian Maria Volonté.

Pisanelli goes to see Friar Leonardo and remarks how peaceful it is there in the cloister. Lojacono and Aragona go to see the head of Forensics and learn some new details about the evidence.

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.

Giuliano and Vera talk a little bit about the music for the Sacco and Vanzetti film, as well as a serendipitous moment in NY connected with that. When the film came out it had success, especially with young people. Their outrage about the unfair trial led to the governor of Massachusetts recognizing the unfairness of their trial.

After work, Aragona and Lojacono walk towards their respective homes together. Aragona says he is home, but is he? Pisanello goes home and makes tea, all the while telling someone (probably his wife?)about his day. Lojacono goes home and gets a phonecall from a certain Sonia...

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

Giuliano and Vera were of one mind regarding respect for workers and fighting against intolerance. One episode that particularly struck Giuliano was the news from the United States involving Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italian immigrants, and anarchists, who were unjustly arrested and condemned to the electric chair in 1927. Montaldo would go on to make a film about that story.

Alex goes to see Nunzia by herself, to see if she can help her, but she gets an unexpected reaction from the girl.

Take your time with this episode about Rome because it is chock full of information. Il Campidoglio, also called Monte Capitolino, is the smallest of the seven hills of Rome, but it's the most important because that's where the mayor's office is, as well. Where did the word "capitol" come from? Fulvio has the answer. He also talks about where the word "money" comes from. And you will recognize the name of the architect who designed the piazza and its surrounding buildings.

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

Giuliano and Vera talk about some of the colorful episodes in their time together on set. Vera tells about how Giuliano accepted her daughter, Elisabetta, from a previous relationship.

Di Nardo and Romano go to see Nunzia's mother. She and her two sons are surprised by the visit and are on the defensive but one name keeps coming up as the policemen question them. At headquarters, Pisanello is studying a series of alleged suicides he is suspicious about.

Fulvio shows tells us the story of a door, a very famous door, called the Alchemist's Door, also called the Magic Door, or the Door to Heaven, a monument built by Massimiliano Savelli Palombara, Marquis of Pietraforte on the grounds of his villa in Rome.