The story is presented through the eye of an immigrant returning home for a fortnight to a little coastal Italian town from the Americas, with the intent of taking a break from customary life and reorganising his thoughts around lifelong problems with his wife. There old memories emerge and blend with the current life of the town. During his stay, the visitor learns from a group of wise old men that a friend of his youth has died after conducting a dissipated life. The old men also represent the heart of the little village with their provincial wisdom.