SYNOPSIS 

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The village of Terracina, in southern Italy, early 1800s

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Act 1 - Afternoon, Outside an Inn

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Zerlina, the innkeeper’s daughter, is in love with Lorenzo, a young officer. However, because Lorenzo is poor, Matteo, her father, refuses to give his consent and intends her to marry a wealthy local farmer instead.

Meanwhile, the notorious bandit Fra Diavolo has set his sights on new victims: the wealthy English couple Lord Hardcash and Lady Pamela, whose glittering jewels — especially Lady Pamela’s — have caught his attention. The couple arrive at Matteo’s inn already shaken, having been robbed on the road, and they offer a generous reward for the recovery of Lady Pamela’s jewels. Lorenzo and his fellow soldiers immediately set out in pursuit of the thieves.

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Soon afterward, another supposed aristocrat — the Marquis di San Marco — arrives and takes a room for the night. (In truth, this is Fra Diavolo in disguise.) Feigning concern at rumors of local bandits, he generously offers to pay for the lodging of two ragged beggars who appear at the door. Once alone with them, the “Marquis” drops his mask: these are his henchmen, Beppe and Giacomo, who report that although they robbed the British travelers, they found no gold.

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When the Hardcashes return, Fra Diavolo dismisses his men and begins flattering Lord Hardcash, cleverly coaxing him into revealing where his wealth is hidden — stitched into the linings of their clothing. Just then Lorenzo and his soldiers return, announcing they have routed the bandits, killed several, and recovered the stolen property. Lorenzo is given a share of the reward, making him wealthy enough to marry Zerlina at last.

 

Act 2 - Later that evening in the bedrooms of the inn.

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That night, the guests retire to their respective rooms. Zerlina’s room adjoins the Hardcashes'’, and she serves as Lady Pamela’s maid. While Zerlina is next door helping her, Fra Diavolo and his two accomplices slip into her room to await their chance to steal the hidden money. Zerlina returns and goes to sleep, but before the thieves can act, the soldiers unexpectedly come back from another sortie. The bandits must stay hidden. When Zerlina goes to open the gate for the returning troops, Lorenzo finds her with the disguised “Marquis” and, misreading the scene, angrily challenges him to a duel. Lord Hardcash, believing the Marquis is there to seduce his wife, also arranges a duel.

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Act 3 - The following morning, again in front of the inn

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By the next morning, Fra Diavolo has planned an ambush to destroy Lorenzo and his troops. However, Beppe and Giacomo inadvertently betray themselves and are searched by the soldiers, revealing the scheme. Lorenzo sets a countertrap, so when Fra Diavolo strides into the village expecting it to be deserted, he is surrounded and captured.

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