Don Camillo Collection

In a village of the Po valley where the earth is hard and life miserly, the priest and the communist mayor are always fighting to be the head of the community. If in secret, they admired and liked each other, politics still divided them as it is dividing the country. And when the mayor wants his "People's House"; the priest wants his "Garden City" for the poor. Division exist between the richest and the poorest, the pious and the atheists and even between lovers. But if the people are as hard as the country, they are good in the bottom of their heart.

After his battles with the communist mayor Peppone, Don Camillo is sent in exile by his bishop in a remote village. Peppone thought he got the village in his hands. But when the municipality decide to build a dike against the periodic floods, the proprietor of the land refuses. War between the village clans is about to begin. Maybe only the strong hand of the priest could persuade the landlord to change his mind. Will Peppone passed over his pride and send for his enemy?

Bewildered, Don Camillo learns that Peppone intends to stand for parliament. Determined to thwart his ambitions, the good priest, ignoring the recommendations of the Lord, decides to campaign against him.

Don Camillo is now a bishop, Peppone is now a senator, but their rivalry is as fierce as when they were just a village priest, and a village administrator. Don Camillo learns that Peppone is about to promote the building of a communal house on the place of an old, derelict church, and that spurns the old flame. They descend from Rome onto quiet Brescello, and they will agitate their faithful hosts, christians against communists, using all devious ways. Even Christ makes a cameo appearance, when things are going a trifle too far.

After much dispute, the village of mayor Peppone and Don Camillo acquires a twin village in the Soviet Union. When Peppone and his Communist comrades decide to attend the twinning ceremony, Don Camillo wishes to join the party. Peppone is strictly against this, but, after Don Camillo threatens to disclose information about some embarrassing behaviour by the mayor, Peppone agrees. Don Camillo arranges for false papers and will travel clandestinely as Comrade Tarocci. Only Peppone and the other comrades know who he really is. In the Soviet Union, the agenda at the twin village includes various cultural events: ballet, opera, a fishing competition and various parties .