Miniseries that traces the Sicilian Mafia's roots in brutality and honor from the 16th century to the 1900s. In 1556, the Gramignano family is headed by cunning patriarch Bartolomeo, who dominates local life through intimidation. Other land barons include Armando Della Morra, who killed his brother in a power play and then arranged for a servant to be falsely condemned to prison for the murder. Future generations include Baron Della Spina, who resorts to violence to regain stolen cattle; Bernardino Campo, who makes a daring escape from a firing squad after digging his own grave; and Donna Rosa, a grieving widow whose husband's murderer is acquitted thanks to Vianisi, the most famous trial lawyer in Sicily.