Les vêpres siciliennes
In 1282 Palermo, Sicilian patriot Procida returns from exile and plans an uprising against French rule. Hélène, whose brother was executed by the French, joins him and Henri in plotting resistance. Henri learns that Montfort, the French governor, is his father; at a ball he saves Montfort from assassination, angering the Sicilians. Montfort pardons the rebels and consents to Henri and Hélène’s marriage. Procida intends to use the wedding as the signal for a massacre, and when the bells ring, the Sicilians attack the French.