In seventeenth-century Tuscany, sheltered nun Benedetta (Virginie Efira) navigates the volatile socio-political landscape of counter-reformation Italy. As she continues to experience unusual visions, the faithful across the country revere her prophecies, deeming her a Catholic mystic. However, her fate soon embarks on a dangerous path as she engages in an illicit affair with her fellow nun Barolomea (Daphne Patakia), an incendiary secret that puts both women's lives in jeopardy. Paul Verhoeven writes and directs this biographical historical drama based on the text by historian Judith C. Brown.