Assunta Spina is a laundress living in Naples, engaged to a violent butcher named Michele Mangiafuoco.

When she accepts Raffaele's offer to dance during an open air feast in Posillipo, as she feels Michele is ignoring her, tragedy strikes.

The original novel from which the story was taken was written by Salvatore di Giacomo, and had been adapted to a successful theatre drama in 1909.

[citation needed] In 1930 the plot of Assunta Spina inspired a new film by Roberto Roberti.

Another was produced in 1948, directed by Mario Mattoli, with Anna Magnani and Eduardo De Filippo as the protagonists.