forced by the thousand days war to flee her village in colombia, a young alma madrigal loses her husband pedro but saves her triplets, which is to say her three twin children: julieta, pepa, and bruno. a miracle happens and her candle becomes magic, gets rid of the people chasing them, and creates a living house, the casita, for them to live in, along with a magical village bordered by tall surrounding mountains— "an "encanto"." the candle's magic gives "gifts" to each madrigal descendant, which they are to use to help the villagers. however, bruno, who had the power of telling the future, disappeared aftee mirabel, julieta's youngest daughter, did not get a gift, and ten years later mirabel is still sad about not having one. mirabel explains this with the song “the family madrigal”