Fracchia is desperate: he has to sell a house with at least five bathrooms within three days or his boss will fire him. Incredibly, he and his pal Filini manage to find the perfect house, a castle in Transylvania owned by some count Vlad... things get even worse when they meet the Count and his sister, who has a crush on Fracchia and decides to marry him!

In 1900 in Rome, the poor carpenter Francesco, by a twist of fate, is recognized component of a noble family in the process of decay. Francesco knows the cynical and ruthless Prince Torquato Terenzi, disappointed by life and progress, and also falls in love with the beautiful Duchess Elisa. When Prince Terenzi dies, Francesco realizes that he's not enriched for nothing with the inheritance, because the noble family is broke; so he enlistes himself for the war in Libya, but quickly returnes to Italy, disgusted by the atrocities of the fighting. His dream is to be a singer, and so he goes to America with the Duchess Elisa.