Cipriano Muggiani belongs to the Muggiani family of Sardinia, their ancestral home. He is grandfather to Antonio, known as Tottoi, who moved to Sardinia with his father following Antonio's mother's death. Cipriano shares direct family ties with Stanis Muggiani, Francesca Muggiani, and Gizza Muggiani. Within this family structure, central to the setting, Cipriano forms part of the backdrop for events involving Tottoi's discovery of a monk seal.