On a beach, a painter rescues a young woman whose face reminds him of a woman he once loved.

The intersecting lives of Francis and Claire of Assisi. Claire turns down the proposals of the wealthy and dedicates herself to the Lord. Francis is the son of a merchant who turns from his life of cavorting with courtesans to an ascetic life in service of the Lord-- Who opens up the path to sainthood for the both of them.