Pope Joan

Ninth-century Europe. Johanna, the daughter of the dogmatic and doctrinaire village priest, learns to read and write in secret. Her extraordinary talent is discovered and is allowed to attend the cathedral school under the care of the knight Gerold, with whom she falls undyingly in love. Following a bloody attack, Johanna disguises herself as a man and enters a monastery. There, she learns the art of healing and gains a reputation as a healer and becomes the personal physician of Pope Sergius. Shortly afterwards, the Pope is found poisoned and Johanna is elected pope. But the undiscovered "popess" has a dangerous point: she is pregnant by Gerold, her secret lover.