Series synopsis
The Cesaronis, also known as I Cesaroni is an Italian comedy television series that premiered on Canale 5 on September 7, 2006. It stars Claudio Amendola, Massimo Molea, Antonello Fassari and Rita Savagnone.
Giulio is a widower, struggling to raise three sons, Marco, Rudi, and Mimmo, as best he can. He lives in Rome's working-class Garbatella neighborhood and runs a wine shop with his two brothers. Lucia, meanwhile, comes from Milan's middle-class background; she's divorced and trying to rebuild her life with her two daughters, Eva and Alice. The two meet by chance and recognize each other: they had a fling as teenagers, many years earlier. Yet first love is never forgotten, and so Giulio and Lucia ...
Premise
Giulio is a widower, struggling to raise three sons, Marco, Rudi, and Mimmo, as best he can. He lives in Rome's working-class Garbatella neighborhood and runs a wine shop with his two brothers. Lucia, meanwhile, comes from Milan's middle-class background; she's divorced and trying to rebuild her life with her two daughters, Eva and Alice. The two meet by chance and recognize each other: they had a fling as teenagers, many years earlier. Yet first love is never forgotten, and so Giulio and Lucia find themselves together again. Their meeting, however, changes not only the lives of a man and a woman, but also those of two families as different as could be. Two families who find themselves living under the same roof without even having had the time to get to know each other well.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Claudio Amendola as Giulio Cesaroni
- Massimo Molea as Andrea
- Antonello Fassari as Cesare Cesaroni
- Rita Savagnone as Gabriella Lanfranchi
- Lucrezia Piaggio as Veronica
- Matteo Branciamore as Marco Cesaroni
- Gina Rovere as Elvira
- Niccolò Centioni as Rodolfo "Rudi" Cesaroni
Supporting cast
- Emanuele Vezzoli as Sergio Cudicini
- Micol Olivieri as Alice Cudicini
- Giovanni Battezzato as Carlo
- Federico Russo as Domenico "Mimmo" Cesaroni
- Elda Alvigini as Stefania Ansaldo
- Claudia Muzii as Pamela Fantoni
- Angelica Cinquantini as Matilde
- Beniamino Marcone as Diego Bucci
- Luca Dettori as Tony Miseria
- Alessandro Tersigni as Francesco Rizzo
- Antonello Morroni as Nando
- Christiane Filangieri as Sofia Scaramozzino
Guest cast
- Sara Mollaioli as Regina Altobelli
- Laura Adriani as Miriam Di Stefano
- Gianluca Gobbi as Luigi Romeo
- Luca Capuano as Federico Forlani
- Massimo Bagliani as Peppe
- Antonio Petrocelli as Fernando Basili
- Franca Abategiovanni as La professoressa Zuppante
- Cristina Bignardi as Germana Barilon
- Alessandro Colecchi as Umberto Signorile
- Luigi Di Fiore as Franco Benvenuti
- Marina Ninchi as Mirella
- Brando Pacitto as Achille
Episodes
This series spans 7 seasons with 154 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 26 | September 7, 2006 | November 12, 2006 |
| Season 2 | 26 | February 1, 2008 | May 8, 2008 |
| Season 3 | 29 | February 6, 2009 | May 25, 2009 |
| Season 4 | 20 | September 9, 2010 | December 21, 2010 |
| Season 5 | 29 | September 14, 2012 | December 14, 2012 |
| Season 6 | 12 | September 3, 2014 | November 19, 2014 |
| Season 7 | 12 | April 13, 2026 | June 1, 2026 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Betrothed / I Can't See Clearly Giulio Cesaroni and Lucia Cudicini, he a widower, she separated, meet again after twenty years in Rome. They realize they still love each other and decide to get married, so Lucia's daughters, Eva and Alice, arrive from Milan and move in with the Cesaronis. Getting to know Marco, Rudi and Mimmo, Giulio's sons, is not easy and things are also complicated by uncle Cesare, Giulio's brother, and his jealousy. Sergio wants Lucia to get back together with him, but after her ex refuses, the ruthless manager goes to Giulio's liquor store and threatens to take away his future wife, daughters and job. Giulio acts on impulse and doesn't hesitate to punch him, so Sergio, with the complicity of a doctor friend, makes the Cesaronis believe he is dying. |
September 7, 2006 |
| 2 |
The Wedding of the Century / 127 Rustica Lucia discovers Sergio's deception and Giulio, having escaped danger, immerses himself once again in the preparations: he wants his wedding party to be unforgettable for the entire neighborhood. Unfortunately, finances are languishing and Giulio finds himself entangled with a financial company and forced to lie to Lucia. The latter, having discovered her future husband's lies, decides to punish him to teach him a lesson. Giulio, in an excess of romanticism, leads Lucia to the place where twenty years before he had made love to her for the first time, but unfortunately he gets the wrong place. Lucia, with a deadly pressure, manages to make Giulio confess: the other, the accused girl, was Stefania, now Ezio's wife. Lucia punishes her friend by wrecking her car. |
September 14, 2006 |
| 3 |
The Perfect Father / The Handcuffs of Love After a meeting with the school psychologist, Giulio tries to imitate Lucia in his relationship with his children, who are worried about their father's change. Meanwhile, Lucia feels lost when Eva confides in her that she intends to make love for the first time with her boyfriend and has a tough fight with her daughter. There is tension in the Cesaroni household. Lucia is so busy with work and household chores that Giulio hasn't been able to have a moment of intimacy with her for several days. Meanwhile, Marco has a fight with Lucia, guilty of having taken the guitar from the closet that reminds the boy of his deceased mother. However, things smooth out and Marco starts playing again. |
September 14, 2006 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
If the Bomb Doesn't Explode / Innkeeper Ascendant Vergin The end of the holidays seems to bring some news to the Cesaroni household: Lucia, suffering from strange ailments, fears she is pregnant and tries to talk to Giulio who, misunderstanding, believes that Stefania is expecting a child. Marco, meanwhile, has resumed his relationship with Rachele. Cesare confesses to Giulio and Ezio the reason for his breakup with Pamela: he is a virgin and did not have the courage to reveal it to his fiancée. The two, to help Cesare, send him to a prostitute, but Pamela surprises him and misunderstands the situation. |
February 1, 2008 |
| 2 |
Neighbors, Too Close / We Need a Friend The innkeeper Giulio Cesaroni and his family are dealing with the terrible new neighbors, who moved from Padua: the Barilons. Meanwhile Marco, who has broken up with Rachele, tries to get closer to Eva. The girl, however, is not at all well disposed. Giulio is worried because his wife Lucia is not getting pregnant. After having tried the unlikely treatments proposed by Cesare and Ezio without obtaining results, the innkeeper asks his friend Ezio to be a donor for artificial insemination. |
February 8, 2008 |
| 3 |
A Mid-Autumn Morning's Dream / Three Dog Days Lucia, taken by the sacred fire of art, enrolls in a theater course together with Stefania but Giulio, influenced by Ezio's worries, becomes jealous. The career of the new actress, however, does not last long. Cesare accidentally hits Barilon's dog with his van. Giulio and Ezio are convinced that the innkeeper killed a tax inspector and plan to report him to the police. Alice babysits her friend Umberto's brother. |
February 15, 2008 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Fighting Without the Neighborhood Giulio and Lucia Cesaroni organize the ritual barbecue that marks the end of summer. Among those in attendance are Giulio's ever-present brother, mechanic Ezio Masetti, and his wife Stefania, a friend of Lucia's and the principal of the school where they both teach. Lucia's mother, Gabriella, is also present, of course, while the youngest member of the family, Mimmo, remarks that this year the doors to middle school are opening for him. Alice and Rudi, always a cat and dog, are instead opening up the far more terrifying doors of high school! Their eldest children, Marco and Eva, are far away: he studies music in Milan, while she's in New York majoring in journalism and living with her chef boyfriend, Alex. Their friend Walter, Stefania and Enzo's son, has remained hanging around Garbatella, drooling over Carlotta, his beautiful girlfriend from the upper-middle classes. |
February 6, 2009 |
| 2 |
Garbatella Caliber 9 / Porchetta and Porcelain Giulio takes a dislike to Tamara, whose unusual habits have disrupted the Cesaroni household and, more importantly, driven his son Marco away from expensive music school. He also discovers she isn't even his girlfriend. Lucia tries to mediate, but the situation becomes untenable, and Marco is forced to ask Walter for help: can they rehearse the pieces they're preparing for their date with Criscuolo in his warehouse apartment, among Cesare's demijohns of wine and Barilon's plants? Cesare and Lucia are very worried: they've had the same nightmare, which they interpreted as a grim omen. Lucia is worried about her daughter Eva, who has been responding curtly or not contacting her at all for days. The girl actually returned from New York in a state of confusion but hasn't informed anyone in the family. She's staying with her friend Carlotta, to whom, however, she hasn't revealed the real reason for her return to Rome. |
February 13, 2009 |
| 3 |
The Hidden Truths / The Garbatelleros Finally safe within the walls of the Cesaroni household, Eva calmly reflects on the last difficult period: the terrible scene Alex made, her sudden departure from New York, her return to Rome. Carlotta seems intent on finding her a new boyfriend, while she herself dawdles without much concern for Walter. Eva tries to give herself some perspective by studying for the university entrance exam. Mimmo philosophizes about strength and cunning, observing his father Giulio's crisis, as he fears being supplanted by the vigor of his eldest son, Marco. Ezio makes matters worse by proposing a generational bowling challenge with his son Walter and Marco as opponents. Matilde, who witnesses the match, suggests her stepfather bribe the two boys who are overwhelmingly winning against Giulio, Cesare and Ezio, once known as the "Garballeros," the champions of Garbatella, with some vile money. |
February 20, 2009 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Serenissima Variable About a year has passed in the lives of the Cesaroni family and their friends from Garbatella: Marco and Eva have just returned from the X Tour with little Marta, who is everyone's joy. Rudi, Alice, Budino, Jolanda, Lorenzo, and Regina return from vacation, struggling with adolescence. And Carlotta also rejoins Eva and Walter's lives. |
September 9, 2010 |
| 2 |
Sitting Bull After two weeks of heated discussions and arguments, the crisis between Giulio and Lucia hasn't subsided. The two have decided to separate. Giulio acts calm, but it's just a facade. He begins to have a crisis and decides to seek therapy from Emma, the sister of Olga, the wedding planner for Cesare's wedding. Things are also getting tough for Ezio: he argues with Walter, who wanted to repair a motorcycle at the shop. |
September 16, 2010 |
| 3 |
Sad Girl Giulio, in the midst of therapy, is still suffering. Furthermore, he believes Ezio and Cesare are ignoring him, but they are only doing so for his own good. After going to Venice with her mother, Alice returns to start school again. At class, Rudi meets a new student: Miriam, Olga's daughter. Mimmo also meets Andy, the wedding planner's other son. |
September 17, 2010 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Art of Loving / At Crazy Speed Lucia has remained in Rome to organize an exhibition of young emerging painters, and Ezio, convinced that she wants to win Giulio back, hatches a plan to bring the two back together. When the innkeeper convinces himself he's got a second chance with his ex-wife, the truth hits him like a cold shower. Rudi returns from vacation convinced he's forgotten Miriam, and Alice is filled with hope that his feelings will be reciprocated. Ezio decides to buy Walter's former garage, and to do so, he ends up gambling away the Cesaroni wine shop, pitting himself against a biker gang. Marco, thanks to Lucia's support, finds the courage to tell Giulio the truth about his relationship with Eva. Meanwhile, he and Maya are at loggerheads, so much so that the young Cesaroni does everything he can to make her look bad to her family. |
September 14, 2012 |
| 2 |
Glow in the Sky / Eternal Youth Ezio and Cesare, certain they're in contact with aliens, become convinced the world is about to end and decide to steal a submarine to save themselves from the Great Flood. For Giulio, however, the most important thing is to make a good impression on Lucia. While Alice and Rudi grow increasingly cold, Diego meets Miriam, and they immediately fall in love. Giulio finds himself dealing with a young suitor who, because of Ezio and Cesare's intervention, threatens to report him in revenge for being rejected. Lucia's intervention brings the girl to her senses, and Giulio, happy at his newfound connection with his ex-wife, can only be stunned when she announces she's about to return to Venice. |
September 21, 2012 |
| 3 |
A Bookmark in the Heart / True Father Giulio, Cesare, and Ezio clash with Stefania and Lucia over the assignment of the former Barilon store, where the men want to open a Roma Club and the women a bookstore. In a clash where the ends justify the means, Giulio, seeing the bookstore as a reason for Lucia to stay in Rome, boycotts his friends. Cesare discovers he has a son, the result of a sperm donation he made in his youth. However, things aren't as they seem, and this time, Cesare's enthusiasm will suffer the consequences. To finance their fashion project, Alice and Jolanda decide to find work as waiters, which is how they meet Francesco. |
September 28, 2012 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Giulio and His Brothers A new family arrives at the Cesaronis' home: Sofia with her three children, Nina, Irene, and Ivan. The woman is an old acquaintance, having lived in Garbatella twenty years earlier, and there's a secret between her and Giulio that threatens to upend the Cesaronis' lives. |
September 3, 2014 |
| 2 |
Two Hearts and a Hope Giulio doesn't give up and tries to rekindle his relationship with Annibale by offering him a share in the wine shop. Sofia has a secret: she's moved to Rome because she suffers from a serious heart condition and must undergo experimental treatments. |
September 10, 2014 |
| 3 |
Fear and Loathing in Garbatella All the Cesaronis rally around Francesco in the hospital after a serious accident. Alice, distraught with guilt, wishes she could be by his side and help him. The Cesaronis must come to terms with another shocking piece of news: Annibale, their fourth brother, is gay. Meanwhile, Sofia goes to a job interview in L'Aquila and discovers that her children aren't exactly what she expected. |
September 16, 2014 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
In the Name of My Father's Father's Father / From Paella to Grill The Cesaronis return to Garbatella, more relaxed than ever. Giulio runs the wine shop with Augusto, unaware of what's about to befall him. Marco is about to say his wedding vows to Virginia, with whom he has Adriano. Mimmo makes his debut as a special education teacher at school: Stefania is the principal, while Rudi works as a janitor in the hallways. Marta, Marco and Eva's daughter, arrives from America. Soon the balance will change. |
April 13, 2026 |
| 2 |
Botanical Obtorto / A Bear in the Kitchen Giulio and Livia, shocked by Carlo's refusal to work at the wine shop, become convinced that he's involved in shady dealings. Meanwhile, Walter tries to sabotage himself so as not to become Virginia's sous chef. Marta, increasingly obsessed with Jonathan, tries to make him jealous by showing herself and Olmo at the botanical garden, but obviously the plan fails. Despite themselves, the two young people are involved in a clandestine party, and Marco, called to intervene, is now truly angry with his daughter. |
April 20, 2026 |
| 3 |
Grandpa, no Love / The Inauguration Giulio and Carlo try to help Adriano win over his beloved Federica. Their disastrous advice puts Adriano under pressure from his terrible partner Renato, but the arrival of Rovazzi will set things right! Walter supports Virginia in creating the new menu. Marco, discovering Marta's crush on Jonathan, creates a fake profile for him to talk to his daughter, unleashing the girl's ire. Father and daughter have just reconciled when Marta receives a call from Eva: she must return to New York immediately. |
April 27, 2026 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | Canale 5 |
|---|---|
| First aired | September 7, 2006 |
| Last aired | June 1, 2026 |
| Status | Returning Series |
| Schedule | Wednesday |