When Women Were Called Virgins

The small Italian village of Prato in the Middle Ages: Giulia (Edwige Fenech) is the wife of Romildo Varrone (Peter Berling), but he cannot satisfy her. He takes his time to erect, but the actual act is only a matter of seconds, and even that only takes place once a month. Giulia has a lover, the young and tireless Marcuzio (Don Backy).

When Romildo catches the two of them red-handed, he takes his wife to court and he threatens her to be burned at the stake. But Giulia delivers a fiery speech and exposes herself to the judges to demonstrate how a shame it would be if all these feminine curves withered unfulfilled under the burden of a sexually unfit husband.

The judges arrange for a local appointment at which the husband and family friend are supposed to prove their skills as lovers in a competition in front of a select jury made up of doctors and church dignitaries (as well as numerous onlookers).

Meanwhile, the three vagabonds Ruberto, Tazio and Gsippo (Jürgen Drews, Paolo Turco, Carlo de Mejo) reach Prato. They stay with Ruberto's stingy uncle Quinto Fulvo (Mario Carotenuto) and try all sorts of tricks to discover the innocence of the young women Peronella, Francesca and Lucia (Eva Garden, Stefania Careddu, Antonia Brancati).

They are supported in their efforts by Gisa (Francesca Benedetti), the unsatisfied wife of the stingy uncle. But he catches his wife when she tries to take money from one of his hiding spots at night, whereupon she fakes somnambulism. The local priest is supposed to drive that out of her.

It's an amusing film at times but probably suffers under that typical Italian sexy comedy genre as not quite being up to a high standard.