The plot is set in the Etruscan town of Volterra. Everybody knows and respects one another here. On a small hilltop there is the house of Maria, a Polish poetess, Nobel Prize winner and moral authority. Her life follows the rhythm of the Italian province but is turned upside down when she receives shocking news about a tragic event. At a ceremony of granting her the title of honorary citizen of the town, driven by her emotions, instead of expressing her thanks, she gives a shockingly politically incorrect speech. From this moment on she is going to experience the unpleasant consequences of her public appearance.