Brancaleone at the Crusades

Brancaleone da Norcia leads Zenone and a ragtag army toward the Holy Land. They are confronted by another group of Christian warriors who accuse them of heresy and attack. Brancaleone is temporarily incapacitated, and he witnesses Zenone and most of the men slaughtered.

Brancaleone's force is attacked by the rival Christian band, and the clash nearly wipes them out. The battle leaves Zenone and most of the followers dead, and Brancaleone is left momentarily unable to rejoin the fight.

Despairing over his failure, Brancaleone pleads with the Grim Reaper to end his dishonor. Death appears and offers him a chance to redeem himself by saving an infant of royal blood before Brancaleone's demise.

Brancaleone defies fate by stopping the assassin Thorz and rescuing the royal baby. He resolves to bring the child to Bohemond of Taranto, a Crusader prince who fights in the Holy War.

Along the road to the Holy Land, Brancaleone's company saves Tiburzia, a young witch, from the stake. Her rescue adds a grotesque comic element as she joins the expedition.

The troupe also takes in a leper, an episode that parodies medieval stereotypes and expands the band’s motley makeup. The leper's inclusion broadens the band's absurd roster of companions.

Brancaleone meets Gregory VII and becomes entangled in solving the dispute between the pope and the antipope Clement III. The encounter satirizes medieval church politics while testing Brancaleone's wits.

Upon reaching Palestine, Brancaleone delivers the child to Bohemond but learns the baby lacks a birthmark. Tiburzia admits she is a witch and has used magic to remove the mark, revealing her true powers.

Bohemond banishes Tiburzia after Brancaleone defends her, avoiding an execution. Brancaleone's defense saves her but leaves the group wary of her magical abilities.

Brancaleone is granted the title of baron and is chosen as champion in a tournament to resolve the Christian–Saracen dispute during the siege of Jerusalem. The prize for the winner is the former leper, who is revealed to be Princess Berta in disguise.

After nearly defeating all Moor warriors, Tiburzia casts a spell on Brancaleone, foiling his victory due to her jealousy and love for him. The magical interference shifts the outcome of the contest.

Furious at the humiliation, Brancaleone chases Tiburzia through the desert as Death returns to claim his prize. Brancaleone asks to duel Death in knightly fashion, and Death agrees to the challenge.

During the duel, Tiburzia sacrifices her life to save Brancaleone, confessing their love for each other. Brancaleone wanders the desert, and Tiburzia reappears to him in the form of a raven, joining him on his lonely trek.