| | | | Part 1 |
| 1 | Matelda | Roffo | Protagonist. |
| | Pietro | Cabrelli | Matelda's grandfather. |
| | Netta | Cabrelli | Matelda's grandmother. |
| | Ida | Casciacarro | Matelda's friend. |
| | Umberto | Ennico | A baker. |
| | Anina | Tizzi | Matelda's granddaughter. |
| 2 | Domenica | Cabrelli | Matelda's mother. |
| | Nino | Roffo | Matelda's brother. |
| | Olimpio | Roffo | Matelda's husband. |
| | Patrizia | Roffo | Nino's wife. Matelda's sister-in-law. |
| | Rocco | Tiburzi | Matelda's first kiss. |
| | Giusto | Figliolo | Matelda's neighbor. |
| | Beppe | | Matelda's dog. |
| | Argento | | Matelda's cat. |
| 3 | Giorgio | Tizzi | Anina's father. |
| | Ciliberti | | Matelda's acquaintance. |
| | Orsola | | Anina's workmate. |
| | Paolo | | Anina's fiancé. |
| | Nicolina | Roffo-Tizzi | Matelda's daughter. Anina's mother. |
| | Matteo | Roffo | Matelda's son. |
| 4 | Silvio | Birtolini | Domenica's friend and first love. |
| | Vanucci | | Netta's friend. |
| | Guido | Mironi | Domenica's classmate. |
| | Aniballi | | The librarian. |
| | Armando | Pretucci | The physician. Domenica's boss. |
| 5 | Aldo | Cabrelli | Pietro's son. |
| 6 | Massimo | | The shoemaker. |
| 7 | Vera | Vietro | Silvio's mother. |
| 8 | Zia | Leonora | Silvio's aunt. |
| 9 | John Lawrie | McVicars | Matelda's father. |
| 11 | Sister | Eugenia | A nun. |
| 13 | Mauro | Cincotto | Domenica's co-dancer. |
| | Amelia | LeDonne | Domenica's acquaintance. |
| | Agnese | Speranza | Domenica's family friend. |
| | Romeo | Speranza | A stone cutter. Agnese's husband. |
| | Zanella | | One of Domenica's neighbors. |
| | Leo | DeNunzio | Silvio's boss. A master gem cutter. |
| | Stella | Spadoni | Domenica's co-dancer. |
| 14 | Gilda | Griffo | The village chanteuse. |
| | Monica | Mironi | The woman that Domenica lectured about family planning. |
| | Guido | Mironi | Monica's husband. |
| | | | Part 2 |
| 16 | Marie | Bernard | A nun at St. Joseph hospital. |
| | Juliette | | One of the nuns. |
| | Stephanie | Arlette | A nurse from Chicago. Domenica's roommate. |
| | Josephine | Brodeur | Domenica's co-nurse and roommate. |
| 17 | Olivier | Deplierre | The night watchman/janitor. |
| | Dr. | Chalfant | A doctor at St. Joseph hospital. |
| | Donnelly | | One of McVicars's men. |
| | Marie | Honore | One of the nuns. |
| 18 | Mary Gay | Mahoney | One of the nurses. |
| 20 | Darlene | Heck | A surgical nurse. |
| 21 | Arcangelo | Antica | McVicars's general. |
| | Francesco | Antica | Arcangelo's brother. |
| 23 | Rosa | | Matteo's wife. |
| 24 | Don | Vincenzo | The parish priest at Lucca. |
| 28 | Matelda (2) | | One of the nuns. Domenica's close friend. |
| | George | Garity | Matelda (2)'s ex-lover. |
| | Mary Rose | McMasters | George's wife. |
| | Grizelle | McVicars | McVicars's mother. |
| | Amedeo | Mattiuzzi | A jeweler. |
| | Piccolo | | Amedeo's son. |
| | Gaetano | Francassi | The priest at Manchester. |
| 29 | Emos | | The shoeblack. |
| 30 | Carolina | | Amedeo's wife. |
| | Gloriana | | Amedeo's daughter. |
| 31 | Moulton | | The captain. |
| | Ettore | Savatinni | The dapper maitre d'. |
| | Chapman | | One of the regulars. |
| | Walker | | One of the regulars. |
| | Margaret | Mary | Piccolo's lover. |
| | Angela | | Arcangelo's wife. |
| 32 | Gunther | Prien | A German Captain Lieutenant. |
| | Eleanor | King | Michael's wife. |
| | Michael | King | A priest. |
| | | | Part 3 |
| 35 | Marnie | | Matelda's childhood friend. |
| | Monica | Mironi | The woman that Domenica met. |
| | Antonio | Montaquila | Monica's husband. |
| 37 | Serena | | Domenica's granddaughter. |
