Somewhere on the outskirts of Naples the poet Prosdocimo, who is looking for a good subject for his new work, meets a group of gypsies. Zaida, a gypsy woman, tells Geronio his fortune, as he wants to know when his whimsical wife, Fiorilla, will finally come to her senses. She tells Prosdocimo that she was forced to flee from her beloved prince Selim due to the fact that her companions made her look unfaithful in his eyes, thus making him jealous. This forced her to flee with Albazar’s help. The poet informs her of the imminent arrival of a Turkish prince, who might intercede on her behalf. While Fiorilla is coming back from a walk with a group of friends, the prince disembarks. Struck by Fiorilla’s beauty, he immediately starts courting her. Prosdocimo meets Narciso, a gentleman at Fiorilla’s service, who also laments the fickle character of the young lady and tells him that she has invited the prince –who is in fact the Turkish Selim, loved by Zaida– to have coffee at her house. Prosdocimo is happy to imagine all the possibilities that this entanglement may provide to his future comic drama. At Geronio’s home, Fiorilla is openly flirting with Selim when Geronio arrives. He is obliged to kiss the prince’s clothing in tribute, which puzzles Narciso. Before leaving the house, Selim arranges a rendezvous with Fiorilla by the sea that very evening. Geronio tells Prosdocimo about the latest events and the latter is increasingly excited at having found such source of inspiration for his drama. Geronio has a fierce argument with his wife, who proudly proclaims her freedom to have all the lovers she wishes and do whatever she wants. While Selim is waiting for Fiorilla by the sea, Zaida appears: they recognize each other and embrace, but Fiorilla, who has been secretly followed by Narciso and Geronio, arrives. The Italian woman immediately confronts the gypsy while the men unsuccessfully try to convince them to make peace. Prosdocimo truly enjoys himself with this situation.

The second act starts inside an inn, where Geronio finds out from the poet that his wife is about to have an encounter with Selim right there. When he arrives, the prince proposes Geronio to buy his wife, as is customary in his country. He absolutely refuses and they exchange mutual threats. After Geronio has left, Fiorilla and Zaida have an argument with Selim; one feels offended and the other hurt by the prince’s love affairs. Prosdocimo, who has found out that Selim intends to abduct Fiorilla during a mask ball and wishes to entangle the events as much as possible so as to enrich his drama, informs Zaida and suggests she go to the ball dressed as Fiorilla. Then, he also advises Geronio to go to the ball in disguise so as to watch over his wife and prevent her abduction. Narciso, who has heard everything, decides to go in disguise as well so as to take Fiorilla with him. All these disguises and faked personalities create a lot of misunderstandings during the ball: Geronio, who sees two Turks and two Fiorillas, claims for his own wife and pretends to be mad; Fiorilla flees with Narciso and Zaida with Selim. After returning to the inn, Prosdocimo, who has learnt from Selim himself about his definite reconciliation with Zaida, suggests the bereaved Geronio teach his wife a lesson by pretending to divorce her. Fiorilla receives a letter in which her husband repudiates her and is sending her back to Sorrento with her family. She gathers her things and, grieving, leaves the house. Everything is then ready for the happy ending and, as usual, it is Prosdocimo, who now has all the elements for his dramma buffo, who triggers the events. He informs Geronio of Fiorilla’s sincere regret, since he really wanted to go back with her and embrace her; the couple, already reconciled, bid farewell to Selim and Zaida, who embark to return to their country together.