After a mysterious death in a Benedictine Abbey, 1327, the monks are convinced that the Apocalypse is coming. With the Abbey to play host to a council on the Franciscan's Order's belief that the church should rid itself of wealth, William of Baskerville, a respected Franciscan monk, is asked to assist in determining the cause of the untimely death. Alas, more deaths occur as the investigation draws closer to uncovering the secret the Abbey wants hidden, and there is finally no stopping the Holy Inquisition in taking an active hand in the process. William and his young novice must race against time to prove the innocence of the unjustly accused, and avoid the wrath of the Holy Inquisitor Bernardo Gui.