Florence 1934: A diverse group of cultured ladies meet for tea each afternoon: Lady Hester Random (Maggie Smith), widow of the British Ambassador to Italy, Arabella (Judi Dench), an artist and singer, Georgie (Lily Tomlin), the exuberant American archaeologist, and the brash and uninhibited Elsa (Cher). One of their fold, Mary (Joan Plowright), becomes surrogate mother to a young boy, Luca, and he is soon virtually adopted and brought up by the group of ladies.