On their way home, the pair are attacked and Rosetta brutally raped by a group of Goumiers (Moroccan allied soldiers serving in the French Army), apparently part of Marocchinate.

In his story of two women, Moravia offers up an intimate portrayal of the anguish and destruction wrought by war, as devastating behind the lines as it is on the battlefield.

Loren's critically acclaimed performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress, the first winner for a non-English language film.

La Ciociara was remade for television in 1988, adapted by Diana Gould, Lidia Ravera, Dino Risi and Bernardino Zapponi.

It was directed by Risi and starred Loren, Robert Loggia, Leonardo Ferrantini, Dario Ghirardi, and Sydney Penny.

[1] Italian mezzo-soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci headlined the cast as Cesira, with American artists soprano Sarah Shafer as Rosetta, tenor Dimitri Pittas as Michele, and baritone Mark Delavan as Giovanni.