La damigella di Bard

Set in Turin, the aging noblewoman Maria Clotilde di Bard is relegated to the palace attic after a dishonest administrator drains the estate. Once a social beacon, she has lived in isolation while a long quiet love for Baron Nigra never came to fruition. The new owners struggle to keep the house, while the same schemer threatens their finances. A friendship with the daughter of the palace reveals a romance with an aeronautical engineer that meets resistance from the girl's father. Maria Clotilde later discovers a hidden thread tying the lovers to her family, and a trunk of letters hints at a blood connection that could redefine the Bard line.

Directed by Mario Mattoli and released in 1936, La damigella di Bard adapts material from Salvatore Gotta and Aldo De Benedetti for the screen.

The film presents a refined look at aristocratic life and the pull of family history. It threads themes of legitimacy, inheritance, and whether duty can coexist with personal affection, all set against a backdrop of old world manners and shifting fortunes.

While not a household title today, the movie marks an example of 1930s Italian cinema that drew on stage tones and strong female lead performances. Emma Gramatica's portrayal along with the period setting helps illuminate how films of its era examined social class and resilience.