The Name of the Rose

The year is 1327. William of Baskerville, a Franciscan friar, and Adso of Melk, a young novice travelling under his protection, arrive at a wealthy Benedictine abbey somewhere in Italy on an important secret mission. A group of Franciscans has come under fire from Pope John XXII, who suspects them of heresy. The Holy Roman Emperor, Louis IV, has aligned himself with the Franciscans, and the abbey has been chosen as a neutral location for a theological disputation, with representatives coming from both sides. Upon the arrival of William and Adso at the abbey, they learn that this peaceful community has been disturbed by the mysterious death of a young illuminator, Adelmo of Otranto. The abbot pleads with William to solve the mystery before the arrival of the two delegations.

As the novel unfolds, several other monks die under mysterious circumstances, and William must play detective. His tools are the logic of Aristotle, the theology of Aquinas, and the empirical insights of Franciscan theologian and English philosopher Roger Bacon, whom he reveres. He collects evidence, deciphers secret symbols and coded manuscripts, and explores the eerie labyrinth which protects the abbey’s library. The prodigious collection of books is at the heart of this mystery, for the library is forbidden to all but three men: the abbot, the librarian, and his assistant.