Fortunella

Fortunella is a resourceful but vulnerable young woman who navigates poverty and romantic disappointment. Her belief in a noble lineage fuels her ambition and resilience, yet she learns to redefine herself through art and community. She makes difficult choices to protect the people she cares about, choosing personal integrity over a compromised relationship.

Peppino is Fortunella's lover whose self-serving choices endanger both of them. He bounces between relationships and excuses himself from responsibility, unraveling when Fortunella is imprisoned for his crime. His treachery propels Fortunella to seek independence, though their paths intersect again in the chaos of the theater world.

A wandering professor who offers help after hearing Fortunella's tale. He co-founds the traveling company with her, but his irresponsibility leads to a cascade of misfortune that tears the troupe apart. He dies and leaves Fortunella a diminishing chalet, a final symbol of unexpected inheritance.

An old, aristocratic figure who ties Fortunella's legend to a real lineage. He confirms his alibi of being abroad when Fortunella claims royal connection, ending her grand fantasy. He embodies the tension between social status and personal truth, serving as a catalyst in Fortunella's decision about her future.

Amelia is Peppino's mistress who enters the story as a rival in love and life. Her presence exposes the fragility of Fortunella and Peppino's relationship and illustrates the precarious nature of romantic attachments in the network of poverty and ambition.