As the opera opens, Nina, the Count’s daughter, has gone mad due to a broken heart. We learn that she was to marry Lindoro, with her father’s approval, but on their wedding day a richer and more powerful suitor turned up, and the Count broke his word. Lindoro challenged his rival to a duel, and was killed. Now she wanders around the village doing good deeds for the people, who all adore her. The Count is tortured by remorse.
Nina goes to the crossroads at the same hour every day to wait for her lover. The villagers come to comfort her, and sing her favourite song. Nina sings in anticipation of meeting Lindoro, but when he fails to appear, Nina leaves flowers at the waiting place and returns to the village.
Act II
The Count's valet appears with good news: it turns out Lindoro is still alive. Giorgio tells his master that Lindoro is at the castle gates hoping to see his darling. The Count greets Lindoro with tears of joy. Lindoro tells him that he was seriously wounded and nursed back to health by a friend. He has stayed away until now, believing Nina married his rival. He is aghast to hear that his beloved has lost her mind.
The lovers are reunited, and Nina is restored to sanity.
The opera's aria, Il mio ben quando verrà (When my beloved comes), is prominently featured in Episode 5, Season 4 of the science fiction series Stranger Things, an episode entitled "The Nina Project." However, the dialogue of the episode explicitly references Nicolas Dalayrac's French language opera of the same name, year, and subject.
