Il bacio della contessa Savina

The story opens on the bustling streets of nineteenth‑century Milan, where a shy eighteen‑year‑old orphan lives under the watchful eye of his canon uncle. His days are ruled by strict routines—mass, meals, lessons—yet his thoughts constantly drift to the balcony opposite, where the beautiful sixteen‑year‑old Countess Savina sits stitching, her graceful movements and fleeting glances igniting an inexplicable longing within him.

Caught between the orderly world imposed by his guardian and the wild, romantic yearning stirred by the Countess, he spends hours imagining a life beyond his modest confines. The narrative follows his inner wanderings, the smoky reveries that lift him from the cramped rooms, and the tentative steps he takes as the carriage of opportunity begins to appear on the horizon, promising a chance to bridge the gap between his quiet existence and the passionate world he dreams of.