Synopsis

The scene depicts the Forum and the Temple of Vesta. Cinna returns victorious from the Gauls and is about to receive the honours of triumph, but Acté, his fiancée, having believed him dead following false news, has entered the college of vestals and it is she who is to place the crown of triumph on the hero's forehead. Cinna, more smitten than ever, declares to Acté that he will go during the night to steal her away from the temple and make her share his destiny. The scene changes. We are in the Temple, where the great vestal is handing Acté the golden rod she is to use to fan the sacred fire. No sooner has she withdrawn than the duties of the priestess and the passion of the lover take turns to turn Acté's heart upside down. Giving in to the power of her first love, she opens the door of the temple to Cinna. At the most pathetic moment of their conversation, the fire goes out on the altar. They immediately understand the horror of their situation. The vestals arrive and find Acté fainting on the altar steps. They strip her of her sacred vestments and the great pontiff pronounces the sentence of death, covering the young girl with a black veil. She leaves, escorted by the lictors. In the catacombs, we see the pit where the priestess who broke her oath is to be buried alive. The funeral procession moves forward.Acté is preparing to sacrifice her life and is praying to the gods, when Cinna, at the head of some soldiers, appears and tries to intervene on behalf of his lover.The tumult is at its height.Suddenly, lightning bursts and rekindles the fire at the altar.Cinna pulls a fainting Acté from the grave.The pontiff yielded to the divine will manifested by such a prodigy and a final tableau showed the couple in the circus of Flora, presiding over the games and dances in honour of Venus Erycina

Source: https://www.fondation-jeromeseydoux-pathe.com/document/vestale-la/5fdd2ab8af99ca9e7f27d4ea?pageId=60cb01f76fb6ab1f3a2a5382&q=la%20vestale&pos=5. Translated from French.

NB the plot quite closely follows that of the libretto of Gaspare Spontini's opera.