| The Law According to Lidia Poët | |
|---|---|
 ItalianNetflix poster | |
| Italian | La legge di Lidia Poët |
| Genre | |
| Created by | |
| Written by |
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| Directed by | |
| Starring |
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| Composer | Massimiliano Mechelli |
| Country of origin | Italy |
| Original language | Italian |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Paolo Lucarini |
| Producer | Matteo Rovere |
| Cinematography |
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| Editors |
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| Running time | 40–57 minutes |
| Production company | Groenlandia |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | 15 February 2023 (2023-02-15) – present |
The Law According to Lidia Poët (Italian:La legge di Lidia Poët) is an Italianhistoricalcrime drama television series created byGuido Iuculano [it] andDavide Orsini [it], loosely based on the life ofLidia Poët, the first modern female lawyer in Italy. The first season was released onNetflix on 15 February 2023. The second season was released on 30 October 2024.
In 1883,Lidia Poët is the first and only female lawyer in Italy, but anappellate court inTurin rules that practicing law is not a woman's job, disbarring her. Lidia finds a job at her brother's law firm while preparing her appeal to overturn the court's decision.[1]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Duration | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1.1" | 52 min | 15 February 2023 (2023-02-15) | |
In 1883, the young Torinese Lidia Poët is the only woman habilitated to practice law in theKingdom of Italy. She accepts to defend Pietro Baiocchi, charged with the murder of his lover, dancer Adele Valery. However, the city's Appeals Court disbars Poët on the basis of her gender, stating that practicing law is not a woman's job. Lidia moves in with her brother Enrico, also a lawyer, and becomes his assistant. She also becomes the role model of her nephew Marianna, and meets Enrico's brother-in-law, journalist and dandy Jacopo Barberis. Lidia investigates Baiocchi's case and uncovers the truth, bringing the real murderer to justice and ensuring that Enrico takes the credit for it. She starts working on her appeal against her disbarment. | |||||
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 1.2" | 40 min | 15 February 2023 (2023-02-15) | |
While Enrico is abroad, Lidia accepts on his behalf the case of Anita Tosetti, a chocolate factory anarchist worker, and charged with the murder of Elena De Santis — the factory owner's wife. When he returns, Enrico finds that Lidia has forged his signature to accept the Tosetti case. Lidia determines that Elena was the real head of the factory, and not her husband, Commendator Guido, and that she had a relationship with Anita. Lidia and a recalcitrant Enrico unmask the real murderer in front of De Sanctis. However, the Attorney general warns the Poëts for circumventing the Court's ruling and bans Lidia from even accessing the courts. | |||||
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 1.3" | 40 min | 15 February 2023 (2023-02-15) | |
Vittorio Muraro arrives at the Poëts' saying that he killed his father. The Muraros are friends of the Poët family, and now inhabit the mansion that used to belong to Lidia and Enrico's father. Lidia was destined to marry Alberto, Vittorio's brother, before she broke the agreement to study law. At the Muraro mansion, Vittorio is interrogated by the Attorney general and admits the murderer, that he claims has committed after having smoked opium. Lidia and Jacopo find that a necklace has been stolen but has not been found on Vittorio, and later a secret room behind the study that used to be of Lidia's father. Lidia and Enrico find the real murderer; but Lidia also finds a letter from her father to Mr Muraro, where he agrees to make Lidia marry Alberto in exchange for the cancellation of his gambling debts. When Lidia broke the contract, Poët sold the mansion to Muraro for a low price. Shocked, Enrico accepts to help Lidia with her appeal. | |||||
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 1.4" | 40 min | 15 February 2023 (2023-02-15) | |
Margherita Sangiacomo, a chemist, is accused of having killed her professor, Braschi, and is awaiting the capital sentence in a nun monastery having fallen ill in prison. Lidia convinces her to hire Enrico as her defender; but she also finds that Sangiacomo is truly guilty, because Braschi and his colleagues used to conduct experiments for a medicine against scarlet fever, using prostitutes as human guinea pigs — including Sangiacomo's mother. Even though the murder was seemingly perfect and the case practically won for her, Sangiacomo confesses in the court. | |||||
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 1.5" | 40 min | 15 February 2023 (2023-02-15) | |
Sangiacomo asks Lidia to defend Azzurra, a prostitute, accused of having killed one of her clients, wealthy entrepreneur Achille Castelnuovo. Meanwhile, Marianna and Pietro, the Poëts' gardener, have fallen in love and have been caught kissing by Teresa, who dismisses Pietro. Lidia investigates the Azzurra case and, with the help of Vera Cressphal, a medium, finds the real murder and has him arrested with a stratagem. That evening, Jacopo is arrested. | |||||
| 6 | 6 | "Episode 1.6" | 40 min | 15 February 2023 (2023-02-15) | |
Jacopo is charged with the murder of Maya Cristallo, a prostitute. In prison, Jacopo confesses to Lidia that he has been helping his former lover, French anarchist Nicole, and her new partner Louis, who are on the run. Marianna and Pietro insist that their relationship is sincere, and want to marry. Lidia learns that Maya's real name was Giorgia Villa, and that she had also been an anarchist in Paris, before turning to spy for the Régime. In Turin, she has been working undercover for General Valery infiltrating the anarchist circles. Lidia finds that Giorgia had turned Nicole and Louis in when she was in Paris, and deduces that they have escaped and travelled to Turin only to seek revenge on Giorgia. Lidia confronts the Frenchmen on a train as they are escaping, killing Louis and convincing Nicole to confess. Jacopo is released; but the Court of Cassation rejects Lidia's appeal. Out of delusion, she leaves her brother's house to follow Andrea to America. | |||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Duration | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "Episode 2.1" | 57 min | 30 October 2024 (2024-10-30) | |
Two years after Lidia's disbarment, the Poët family has moved to Turin after Jacopo has sold their mansion to fund his own newspaper. This has caused tensions between Jacopo and Enrico and Lidia, who did not leave in Italy. She is now an activist for women's rights and is arrested for pretending to be enlisted in her town's electoral college. The new prosecutor, Pierluigi Fourneau, releases her because Attila Brusaferro has been found dead with two puzzling messages for Jacopo and Lidia, and the only suspect is Attila's brother. As she investigates and unveils the truth, Lidia and Jacopo disband a gang of racists; but the true killer commits suicide without explaining the reason for his crime. In the meantime, Enrico and Teresa learn that Marianna is dating the young Duke Paolo Marchisio di Belgiojoso, and Lidia works on a new law for women's rights. | |||||
| 8 | 2 | "Episode 2.2" | 57 min | 30 October 2024 (2024-10-30) | |
Laura, a young student in a boarding school for young ladies, is accused of poisoning her classmate Beatrice, killing her. Lidia investigates the case upon Teresa's request, who is friends with Laura's family. At the same time, Jacopo investigates Attila's murder, and the Poëts are introduced to Paolo's parents, Duke Alfonso and Duchess Maria Vittoria Marchisio di Belgiojoso. | |||||
| 9 | 3 | "Episode 2.3" | 56 min | 30 October 2024 (2024-10-30) | |
A serial killer is targeting women in Turin. Fourneau asks Lidia to work on the case as an informal consultant. Lidia is introduced to Sen. Filippo Cravero, a supporter of women's right to vote, and the two try to convince Enrico to run for the Chamber of Deputies to support Lidia's proposed law. With the help ofCesare Lombroso, Lidia stops the killer. She and Fourneau share a kiss. Marianna learns the truth about Lorenzo and moves in with her Jacopo, refusing to speak to her parents again, and Lidia is asked to be the intermediary. Jacopo continues working on Attila's murder, suspecting a connection with banker Antonio Juvarra and his ex-secretary Umberto Nitti. | |||||
| 10 | 4 | "Episode 2.4" | 55 min | 30 October 2024 (2024-10-30) | |
Andrea Caracciolo is back from America to marry his fiancée Letizia. However, a man is found dead during the party, and Letizia is the principal suspect. Lidia uncovers the truth: the man was thug to an usurer, and had had a relationship and a son with Letizia. To free Letizia, Andrea takes the guilt and leaves for Switzerland. During a lunch with the Marchisios, Enrico accepts Lidia's proposal to run for Parliament and a marriage contract is issued; later, Enrico delivers a speech to the electoral college. Jacopo continues investigating Attila's murder and arrives at Umberto Nitti, a librarian who previously worked for Juvara. | |||||
| 11 | 5 | "Episode 2.5" | 51 min | 30 October 2024 (2024-10-30) | |
Bruno Corsi escapes from Le Nuove, and is accused of killing a guard. Fourneau asks the Poëts to defend Corsi, as he is convinced that a gang of corrupt guards has framed him. Lidia's relationship with Fourneau progresses. Meanwhile, Jacopo tracks Nitti down, but the man is killed before Jacopo can ask him about the content of certain documents that Attila Brusaferro died searching. | |||||
| 12 | 6 | "Episode 2.6" | 52 min | 30 October 2024 (2024-10-30) | |
Enrico has won the elections, but Marianna unexpectedly breaks the contract marriage with Paolo Marchisio because she still is in love with Lorenzo. Jacopo plans on moving to Rome to start a socialist newspaper. Fourneau finds the documents that Attila Brusaferro had hidden, and arrests Garrone; the killer hired by a clique of conspirators against the PM De Pretis. Juvarra and the other conspirators are arrested. Jacopo leaves for Rome, Cesare follows him, but Lidia — still in love with Jacopo, but determined to retain her freedom — remains in Turin. | |||||
The series is filmed inTurin, with specific filming locations includingParco del Valentino,Palazzo Barolo [it],Piazza Cavour [it], and theCarceri Nuove [it].[2][3] Filming on the second season began in June 2023.[4][5]
The first season was released onNetflix on 15 February 2023.[6][7] In June 2023,Netflix confirmed that the series had been renewed for a second season.[8] The second season, consisting of six episodes, was released on 30 October 2024.[9][10] In December 2024, Netflix confirmed that the series had been renewed for a third season.[11]
The series was criticized by Lidia Poët's grandnephew for sexualizing Poët and obfuscating herWaldensian origins, its use of foul language, and its lack of historical context.[12][13][14]
| Award | Year | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
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| Critics' Choice Television Awards | 2025 | Best Foreign Language Series | The Law According to Lidia Poët | Nominated | [15] |
| Nastri d'Argento Grandi Serie | 2023 | Best Crime Series | Won | [16] | |
| Best Actress | Matilda De Angelis | Nominated |
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