A fig tree growing in the estates of Baron Anteo Pellacani has been worshipped since the Middle Ages, after a Saint was supposedly martyred there. The Baron, who was crippled in a fig tree-related accident and has since become a raging atheist, vows to tear it down—until he mistakes a beautiful prostitute momentarily lying on the tree for the Saint herself, falling in love with her. Her pimp, his relatives and the clergy try to take advantage of his newfound faith.

After years of sexual humiliation at the hands of her sadistic husband and his friends, a wealthy heiress struggles to regain her sense of identity. To that end, not only does she become ruthless in business, but also delights in sexually dominating her young secretary, Anna. When she attempts to exert her sexual power over a blythe traveler, Peter Smart, he turns the tables on her, and she finds herself at the mercy of an unfamiliar emotion: Love.

Police detective Paolo Germi and the mysterious Marisa meet each other at a dance hall. Germi is unsuspecting of the secret Marisa is carrying with her: adverse conditions forced her into prostitution. As Germi finds the young girl brutally murdered, he decides to go after her killers. During his investigation, he enters a world of intrigue and obfuscation that leave an endless trail of blood.