Thief Mario Forni arrives in a small Italian town searching for hidden treasure, posing as a house painter. He falls for Madame Rinaldi, a local brothel owner, while secretly locating the treasure beneath a statue in an old church. When a prostitute named Pia confides her pregnancy nearby, Mario speaks from inside the statue, pretending to be St. Joseph, and leaves her gold coins. Believing it a miracle, Pia inspires the town, drawing attention from a suspicious mayor, banker, and a visiting bishop. Even after learning the truth, the bishop sees real value in the hope the "miracle" brings. When the statue collapses, revealing a golden cross, the town celebrates--while Mario and Rinaldi slip away with part of the treasure to start anew.