Florence in 1848. There is a strong political tension in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Giovanni, a young Neapolitan composer who has just arrived in the city, accidentally comes into contact with some liberals and is convinced to compose the hymn of the Volunteers.
An independently wealthy collector of objets d'art tries to influence an artist's model away from marrying a notorious scoundrel and to help an Asian importer raise money for a son's surgery by buying a sacred statuette of Buddha, the sale of which the importer believes will curse him; therefore, the importer secretly plans to poison the collector after receiving the cash and keep the statuette in his possession.
Greed, ambition and hunger-for-power drive John Hart, a New-York-City stock-market broker, into crooked dealings and deception, but he doesn't realize that those he ruined will seek vengeance.
A fast-talking boxing manager and the somewhat hapless fighter he manages happen to run into a young man who was a good prizefighter in his day but is now out of the sport and has a drinking problem.
Cheyenne joins El Diablo's gang looking for his long time missing wife and daughter. After saving Romero from the gang he returns to get Connie who he now realizes is his daughter.