Morning. On the morning of his wedding, Figaro is trying out the space for the marital bed while his fiancée Susanna is trying on the bridal hat she’s made. He praises Count Almaviva’s generosity in moving them to this room as their first shared dwelling as man and wife. She is less than impressed by a “generosity” that moves their employer closer to reclaiming his jus primae noctis (feudal privilege of the lord to spend the wedding night with any bride who is a vassal on his lands). She runs to attend to the Countess, and Figaro resolves to foil the Count’s lascivious plan.
Marcellina has her own plans for Figaro’s wedding. Figaro has borrowed a large sum from her which he guaranteed against his own hand in marriage, she enlists Bartolo’s help. Knowing the Count is pursuing Susanna, she calculates that if the servant can deny the master, Almaviva will punish his wife’s maid by denying the wedding. Bartolo enjoys the idea of revenge on the valet of the man who ruined his own wedding plans (to Rosina, now Countess Almaviva) years ago. Susanna enters and she and Marcellina exchange too many compliments for either to proceed in the direction in which she was headed.
Cherubino the page intercepts Susanna and begs her to intercede for him with his godmother the Countess, that she may plead for him to the Count, who caught him the day before alone with tweenaged Barbarina and tried to throw him off the estate. The arrival of the Count interrupts their conversation, and Cherubino hides behind an armchair. Thus he accidentally overhears the Count’s gallantries toward Susanna — which are cut off by the arrival of Basilio, who’s come to confide Cherubino’s indiscretions toward the Countess. The Count hides behind the same chair and fumes. When his jealous pride can take no more, he bursts forth, only to discover he’s been hiding back-to-back with the page himself. A chorus of peasants, directed by Figaro, enters singing praise to the Count for having abolished the jus primae noctis. Desperate to be spared further embarrassment, Almaviva makes an excuse to hold the wedding that evening. Desperate to be rid of the pest, he orders Cherubino to report for duty as an officer of his regiment in Seville.