Italy, 1327. Christianity was divided by Pope John XXII and Emperor Louis IV of the Holy Roman Empire. Guillaume de Baskerville and his follower Adso von Melk end up in a remote monastery in the Alps. There they are confronted with a series of mysterious murders. While Baskerville and Melk investigate the murders, they are themselves hunted by the merciless Inquisitor Bernard Gui, who persecutes those who criticize the Pope.