The show takes place in Trieste's Città Vecia, within a setting composed of Angelo Cecchelin's lyrics in the song of the same name. It's the 1930s, with period music playing in the background. In a small square, Gemma and Mariolina are sitting on straw chairs on one side, and Felicita and Santina on the other. Gemma wears a housecoat and curlers; Mariolina holds a photo story she pretends to read; Felicita mends a pillowcase, and Santina knits. Baruffe lovingly depicts the amorous skirmishes of a group of working-class women and men set against the backdrop of an old-world Trieste still driven by sincere affection, aptly depicting a shared vision of life.