Act One

The setting is Venice, in the 1600s. In the plaza on Mardi Gras, the crowd is celebrating ("Feste! Pane!"). The spy Barnaba, dressed as a street singer, sneers ominously in true villainous fashion and avidly watches Gioconda and her blind mother Cieca enter ("Madre adorata"). Gioconda settles Cieca on the church steps and goes to find Enzo, but Barnaba tries to stop her, declaring his love. She runs away, and Barnaba decides to use Cieca to entrap her. He tells Zuane, who lost the gondola race, that Cieca bewitched his boat and incites the crowd to seize her as a witch. Enzo comes in and denounces them as cowards, then runs to get his sailors to rescue her. Alvise, an Inquisition official, and Laura, his wife, enter, and Laura persuades Alvise to release Cieca, saying a woman who carries a rosary cannot be a witch, and in gratitude, Cieca gives Laura her rosary ("Voce di donna"). As the crowd now declares Cieca blessed by heaven, Barnaba quietly tells Alvise he is on the track of a lion, and Enzo and Laura covertly eye one another. All leave but Enzo and Barnaba, and with sinister amiability, Barnaba greets Enzo by his true identity, "Enzo Grimaldo, Principe di Santafior," telling him he knows all about him. Enzo is a prince from Santafior, once engaged to Laura, and has risked his life by coming in disguise to Venice to find her. Though he has promised to marry Gioconda, he still loves Laura. Barnaba offers to bring Laura to Enzo's ship so they can run away together that night, and then reveals his motivation; he wants to break Gioconda by making Enzo unfaithful to her. Enzo doesn't want to hurt Gioconda, but still accepts Barnaba's offer. When he leaves, Barnaba has a denunciation written, which he stuffs into the lion's mouth, where such anonymous denunciations of treachery are left ("O monumento!") and revels in his power. Gioconda has overheard and is heartbroken.

Act Two

Sailors are singing on Enzo's ship. Barnaba approaches disguised as a fisherman and singing ("Pescator, affonda l'esca"). Enzo appears and orders the sailors to prepare to set sail tonight, then waits ecstatically for Laura ("Cielo e mar"). Barnaba brings her aboard and they fall into one another's arms, anticipating a happy future together ("Laggu fra le nebbie"). Enzo goes to prepare to embark and Laura prays at a small altar for Mary's blessing ("Stella del marinar"). Gioconda comes forward, cursing her, and they quarrel over who loves Enzo most ("L'amo come il fulgor del creato"). Gioconda is ready to stab her, but then sees Alvise approaching and announces that this is a better revenge. Laura pulls out the rosary Cieca gave her, and Gioconda, recognizing it, resolves instead to save the woman who saved her mother, and helps her escape. Enzo returns, and Gioconda triumphantly tells him that Laura fled to save herself, but she, who loves him more, stayed with him. When he sees Alvise and Venetian soldiers approaching, he burns the ship rather than let it be captured, and jumps into the sea, calling Laura's name.

Act Three

In the Ca d'oro, Alvise's palace, Alvise meditates on his revenge ("Si, morir ella de!") and prepares to poison Laura. He anticipates her dying during the festivities of that night's party. When she comes in, he first greets her with chilling courtesy and then shows her a bier and orders her to drink the poison. She pleads for her life but in vain. Alvise leaves her with the poison as gondoliers sing outside. She is about to drink, but Gioconda enters, gives her a sleeping drug instead, and leaves, taking the poison with her. Alvise returns and sees Laura, seemingly lifeless. In the ballroom, Alvise greets his guests in a courtly manner and invites them to watch a ballet (The Dance of the Hours). After it ends, Barnaba drags in Cieca, who says she was praying for the dead. Enzo, who has entered disguised, is horrified to hear that Laura is dead, and as Alvise gloats, reveals himself. The guests are horrified ("D'un vampiro fatal"). Cieca denounces Barnaba, who says he will punish her. Enzo is arrested and Gioconda offers her body to Barnaba if he will free Enzo. Alvise, further gloating, shows the guests Laura's corpse.

Act Four

Gioconda's home is the ruins of a mansion. Two of her friends bring in Laura's body, and she asks them to find her mother, who has disappeared. She is desperate and suicidal at having lost her mother and Enzo ("Suicido! In questi fieri momenti") and is even tempted to kill Laura. Enzo enters and Gioconda passionately says she wants to make him happy. Instead, he bids her goodbye, saying he wants to die at Laura's tomb. She tells him he will find it empty, and he thinks she has despoiled it and pulls a dagger to kill her. She is masochistically delighted, but Laura calls to him. He realizes what Gioconda has done, and they both thank her as she says she has arranged for their escape. She asks them to think of her occasionally, and they leave. She reaches for the poison, but remembers her mother and prays. Barnaba enters and watches her. She turns to leave, but he stops her, reminding her of her promise. She says she will keep it and pretending to want to seduce him, puts on her finery and sings to him, as he raptly watches. As he moves to embrace her, she says she indeed promised him her body, and stabs herself. He shouts that he drowned her mother for having insulted him, but realizes she cannot hear him.

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