Sergio is a nobleman who is in a position close to the throne. He discovers that his bride-to-be has been the king's mistress. Disgusted, he leaves Naples and becomes a monk. Later, he begins to acquire a reputation as a miracle worker. However, by now he has succumbed to his demon of sexual temptation in the form of a conniving young girl. Devastated by his lapse, he leaves the hermitage and wanders around Italy as a homeless beggar.