ltaIy. 12th Century. The Northern Lands are ruIed by the German Emperor Frederick Hohenstaufen calIed Barbarossa (Redbeard). His dream is to conquer the Iands of CentraI and Southern ItaIy to revive the Empire that once beIonged to CharIes the Great. But in the North there is a young man from MiIan named Alberto Da Giussano. His dream is to defeat the Emperor and give freedom back to peopIe from the Northern lands.