After a wild rendezvous with four prostitutes in Marseille, de Sade is wanted in 1771 by royal warrant, but the Marquis has long since vanished - together with the beautiful Anne-Prospère, the younger sister of his wife Renée. In Italy, he experiences a passionate love affair with his young mistress and, following his passion for the encyclopedic, takes inventory of Italian culture in his notes. Alongside descriptions of architecture and cuisine, the records contain scandalous observations: carnival scenes in Naples resemble satanic orgies, prostitution and violence dominate social life, while Christian superstition holds the people in a tight grip. The journey ends with de Sade's arrest. In captivity, he initially attempts to turn his drastic report into a travel guide for the elite.