Life stories cross, while Rome is occupied by the Nazis. Pina loves Francesco, an illegal printer. Manfredi is the leader of the Roman restistance movement. Father Pietro, a parish priest,helps the resistance by transmitting messages and money.The Gestapo commander in the city, with the help of the Italian police commissioner, captures Giorgio and the priest, and interrogates Giorgio violently. They attempt to use Pietro's religious beliefs to convince him to betray his cause, citing that he allies himself with atheists. Pietro responds that anyone who strives to help others is on the path of God, whether they believe in Him or not. When Don Pietro still refuses to crack, he is executed.

Since early on, this film has been considered a quintessential example of neorealism in film, so much so that together with PAISAN and GERMANY YEAR ZERO, it is called Rossellini's "Neorealist Trilogy".