The brilliantly told story of the impossibility of love when age, social status, and religion are against it takes place in Vienna in the second half of the 19th century. The elderly Count Adam von Petöfy lives with his sister Judith in the city palace, in separate living quarters. Countess Judith maintains her Catholic circle, while Count Adam indulges in his love for art and theater. When he invites the actress Franziska to a ball at his palace, she enchants all the guests, including his nephew Egon von Asperg. However, Count Adam's serious and sudden decision to marry Franziska surprises everyone and is met with skepticism: age, social status, and religion are obstacles to this union. After the wedding, the mismatched couple travels to Hungary, to the old ancestral seat of the von Petöfy family. During their grand entrance into the castle Apra, one of the two old bells in the tower breaks.