Act 1:
Anticonformist, cunning, flamboyant and coarse, Falsacappa is the chief of a colourful band of brigands. Together they steal, pillage and lie without scruples. They blithely mock the hypocrisy they observe around them and hoodwink those who practice it. Falsacappa is fond of disguise and the art of cross-dressing. We discover him amusing his comrades by playing the character of a nun too devout to be honest. Several of the women take turns in joining him, playing the role of shy teenagers naively following this so-called female hermit. The role-play culminates in a joyous celebration of Falsacappa, their charismatic and beloved leader. But the celebrations are short-lived. Falsacappa finds himself confronted by disgruntled brigands who can no longer stand their paltry profits, hunger and fatigue. Assailed by their grievances, Falsacappa swears (a little too frivolously) on his daughter’s head to find a “job” before the next day, a “job” that will make them all rich. They take him at his word: if within twenty-four hours they don’t wake up with money in their pockets, the disgruntled robbers promise Falsacappa and his daughter certain death. Falsacappa’s daughter Fiorella arrives at just the right moment. As fearless as she is intelligent, Fiorella is not only the brains of the group but also its muse. All the brigands, men and women alike, sigh at the sight of her, at the mention of her name. Falsacappa withdraws with his daughter Fiorella. Whilst keeping his recent promise a secret from her, he hopes that she will help him to find a strategy to bring the band riches as quickly as possible, and thus protect himself from the wrath of the robbers.

But Fiorella wants nothing more to do with her father’s affairs. Ever since she met the eyes of a certain Fragoletto, whom they robbed recently, Fiorella has been feeling hesitations and scruples... She wants to live an honest life. She dreams of marrying Fragoletto, moving into a house with him and starting a family. Falsacappa is devastated. How could his daughter abandon him at such a critical time – on top of it all, to nurture her petty-bourgeois dream of a heterosexual, monogamous marriage! Falsacappa is about to reason with Fiorella when a group of brigands suddenly appear, dragging along a foolhardy man they have kidnapped. The latter is none other than Fragoletto himself. He claims to have come on his own, with the intention of making a request to Fiorella. The other day, while the unscrupulous brigands were robbing him, Fragoletto met Fiorella’s gaze and immediately felt his heart beating for her. If Fiorella agrees, Fragoletto wants to ask for her hand in marriage. Despite his daughter’s enthusiasm, Falsacappa refuses the union. An honest man for a son-in-law? He has better things in mind for his offspring! No matter: Fragoletto asks to join the band; he wants to become a robber. Falsacappa agrees to put Fragoletto to the test and takes him out into the field with other brigands. Fiorella is left alone with Pietro, who, to pass the time, tells the story of a famous bandit. Then a richly dressed young man arrives, the Prince of Mantua. Lost and disoriented, he asks Pietro and Fiorella for directions.

Pietro, ogling at the Prince’s lavish clothes, discreetly asks Fiorella to detain him while he goes off to fetch the other brigands in order to rob him – in this way she will be doing her father a great, great favour! Pietro assures the Prince that he is leaving to find him a guide and disappears. Fiorella is not immune to the Prince’s charms. But, overcome by scruples, she urges him to flee as quickly as possible. When Falsacappa returns, the Prince has already fled. Falsacappa is appalled by his daughter’s leniency, but Fiorella promises to make amends at the earliest opportunity. The brigands arrive, along with Fragoletto. They celebrate the young man’s boldness in catching an envoy on horseback. In the latter’s satchel, the brigands discover a letter announcing the forthcoming marriage between the Princess of Granada and the Prince of Mantua. To mark the occasion, the ambassador accompanying the Spanish aristocrats will collect a dowry of three million. Falsacappa sees a portrait of the Princess of Granada in the satchel. He replaces it with a photograph of his daughter Fiorella and allows the envoy to leave. A triumphant Falsacappa announces to the robbers that he has found the caper that will soon make them rich – the caper of the century! While waiting to put his plan into action, he authorises a wild party to celebrate Fragoletto’s (deserved) entry into the band. The party is briefly interrupted by the passing of the carabinieri, notorious for always arriving too late at the scene of the crime, and whose boots make such a noise that they alert the brigands in time.  

Act 2
In Pipo’s hotel, conveniently located on the Spanish- Italian border, everyone is busy from the cellar to the attic preparing for the arrival of the delegations which will be stopping over on the occasion of the prince’s wedding. Two beggars arrive, asking for alms and a bit of bread, soon followed by a third, then a fourth, a fifth and so on until the hotel is taken over by a destitute horde, who (as we suspected) turn out to be the brigands themselves. They kidnap Pipo, his family and the hotel staff. Falsacappa reminds the brigands of their objective: to travel to Mantua to secure the three million promised to the Spaniards. The entire strategy hinges on Fiorella, who will have to impersonate the Princess of Granada. Falsacappa asks her to guarantee her participation, reminding her that she has promised to prove her commitment at the earliest opportunity. Fiorella agrees, on condition that she can officially marry Fragoletto. “It’s agreed”, replies Falsacappa, “and we’ll have the marriage contract drawn up by the first notary who comes along.” Fiorella and Fragoletto immediately embark upon one of the roleplaying games of which the brigands are fond. The lovers include Pietro in their charade, as if he were a notary responsible for certifying their union. In the besieged hotel, each brigand goes to his station. Left alone with Falsacappa, Pietro is worried. He finds the whole affair complicated. Falsacappa tried to reassure him: “We’ll take the place of the kitchen staff to receive the people from Mantua; then we’ll take the place of the people from Mantua to receive the people from Granada; and finally, we’ll take the place of the people from Granada to go to the court in Mantua to receive the three million.

Nothing could be simpler!” Fragoletto enters, carrying aprons and chef’s hats. Falsacappa, Pietro and Fragoletto disguise themselves as kitchen staff. Proud of their attire, they enjoy imagining the arrival of a customer (played, of course, by Falsacappa), until an out-of-breath brigand appears: the delegation to meet the Princess is arriving! Outside the occupied hotel an Italian delegation arrives, led by the Baron of Campotasso and escorted by the Captain of the Carabinieri and his men. Falsacappa, Pietro and other brigands appear dressed as cooks. They are almost betrayed by the pistols and daggers protruding from their white aprons, but manage to explain that they keep weapons close at hand for self-defence: it is rumoured that a band of brigands and their terrible, fearless and brave chief, Falsacappa, are on the prowl in the vicinity! Baron Campotasso admits he has never heard of Falsacappa, and the Captain asserts he has no fear of him.

A dismayed Falsacappa prepares to defend his honour, but is interrupted by the arrival of a sentry: the Granada delegation is also approaching! The brigands barely have time to lock up the Italians, the Captain and his Carabinieri in the cellar before the Spanish arrive with great ceremony. In front of the apparently deserted hotel, the Granada delegation waits. The Count of Gloria-Cassis, the Princess of Granada, her page Adolphe and her tutor take offence at being received with so little consideration. Fragoletto enters, disguised as the hotel receptionist, followed by Falsacappa, dressed as the Captain of the Carabinieri. Fragoletto welcomes the Spaniards, whilst Falsacappa assures them that he is there to protect them: there are rumours that a band of brigands and their fearless and brave leader, Falsacappa, are on the prowl in the area! The brigands enter as poorly dressed carabinieri. They begin a grotesque military parade, leaving the Spaniards baffled. Finally comes Pietro, who, having forgotten to swap his kitchen uniform for the attire of the Baron of Campotasso, behaves for a while like a chef. When Fiorella appears, she and Fragoletto struggle to hide their mutual attraction, and Fiorella sings verses celebrating their love.

Falsacappa is anxious to get the Spaniards back into the hotel so that he can kidnap them and go ahead with his plan. The Spaniards resist: why go back to their rooms when it’s only two o’clock in the afternoon? The brigands insist, become menacing and finally revealed their true colours as they hold the terrified Spaniards at gunpoint. Campotasso appears by surprise, promising the Spaniards freedom and safety: he has managed to escape from the cellar with the carabinieri! But the carabinieri arrive staggering, drunk on champagne. “And now, at last, let’s leave! Let’s go and collect the three million!” cry the elated brigands.

Act 3
The Prince of Mantua is celebrating his stag party in the company of the monks and nuns of the San Aperitivo monastery and ladies of the court, in particular a duchess and a marchioness who bitterly regret his marriage. The merrymaking is interrupted by the arrival of Madam the Budget Minister – referred to by some as “the Treasurer” – who assures the Prince that the kingdom has enough cash to pay the Spaniards the promised three million. But left alone, the Budget Minister confesses that she has spent the entire public purse for her own benefit. There is not a penny left in the coffers of Mantua. The brigands, dressed as Spaniards, make a colourful entrance into the town. Fiorella, disguised as the Princess of Granada, and the Prince of Mantua recognise each other. Each remembers seeing the other earlier, before the interval. Fiorella seeks to be credible as a Spanish woman and to assure the wary Prince that they have never met. Meanwhile, Pietro forgets that he is no longer supposed to be Campotasso but the Princess’s tutor, and the brigands do not hesitate to commit petty theft and rob the rich Mantuans of their watches.

The brigands set up an ambush, and before leaving remind their leader of his promise: three million or death. Left alone, the Budget Minister tries to bribe Falsacappa by offering him a wad of notes to slip directly into his pocket instead of receiving the three million, which will only enrich the Granada tax authorities. Falsacappa refuses and insists: he wants the three million. The Budget Minister, believing Falsacappa to be honest and incorruptible, confesses everything to him. She doesn’t have the three million. She has spent it all. Falsacappa and the brigands pounce on her.

Alerted by the cries of the Budget Minister, the Prince and the court of Mantua come running. “What’s all this noise? What’s all the fuss?”. The din is soon interrupted by the arrival of a second (and authentic) delegation from Granada, which has just escaped from the hotel cellar and compromises the cross-dressed brigands. Fiorella intercedes between the brigands and the Prince. She reveals her identity to the latter and reminds him that she saved him previously. The Prince is moved. He grants the brigands amnesty and, impressed by Falsacappa’s cunning and dishonesty, invites him to join his government.