Despite the film's title, Friedrich "Barbarossa" features only as a supporting character in this film, which is primarily concerned with the struggle of the Lombard League, which struggled to maintain independence from the Holy Roman Empire, led by the legendary Guelph warrior Alberto da Giussano.

His dream is to conquer also Central and Southern Italy, thus reviving the ancient empire founded by Charlemagne.

The Emperor Barbarossa is out hunting when he is attacked by a wild boar, but is saved by a young boy.

A few years later, in the German city of Würzburg, Barbarossa is going to see Hildegard von Bingen, the great seër.

The story cuts to Milan where Evandro calls over to the now grown Alberto and tells him to get onto his cart because they must reach the river before dawn.

Lodigiani soldiers arrive and say the merchants crossed through their territory in the night and now they must pay their dues.

Two emissaries from Lodi come to Barbarossa to tell him that the city of Milan is trying to dominate them.

Gerado's colleague, Siniscalco Barozzi is shocked at the behaviour of his friend and he asks the German emissary not to leave.

Eleonora comes to tell Alberto that Siniscalco Barozzi wants to marry Tessa but she says that will never happen.

Eleanora is hurt and angry by the accusation so to pacify her, Alberto he shows her the large knife given to him by Barbarossa himself.

Tessa tells Eleonora that Ranero, one of Alberto's brothers, says he wants to marry her and she returns his feelings.

Barozzi returns to Milan to warn of the great size of the German army.

Eleonora runs to tell Alberto that the Germans have destroyed the city of Brescia with more than one thousand dead.

As Soldiers from the cities of Parma, Cremona, Padua and Ferrara are sent to join forces with Barbarossa, the Germans are approach Milan.

On the front of the towers they have tied the Millanese volunteers that went out in the fields to get fresh food for the residents of Milan.

At night Alberto goes out and up to retrieve the bodies of his two brothers and swears vengeance for their deaths to his father.

As the Emperor and Empress leave the coronations, a man falls dead in front of them.

Alberto tells Eleonora that the Germans treat them like animals and says that it is time to stop running and form an army.

Alberto again asks Eleonora again to marry him and this time she agrees however soon after, Barozzi comes to the nunnery to take the Emperor's share of their bounty and to abduct attractive nuns.

He is ecstatic to find her but Tessa, aware that Barozzi killed her fiancé slashes his face with a dagger and runs to the roof of the nunnery.

Barozzi begs her not to do it, promising to change his dishonest ways but Tessa fulfils her vow and throws herself to her death rather than be forced to marry him.

The Empress is frightened by rumours that Eleanora is a witch while Barbarossa is upset because they have been trying for weeks to take the city without success.

Eleonora's cellmate screams that the woman is a witch and she runs to the cell door banging hard on it to be let out.

His wife advises him to send a message to his cousin Henry the Lion to bring fresh troops for the German army to which Barbarossa agrees but the Empress has an additional request; to free Eleanora because she believes Eleanora is protected by God but Barbarossa refuses.

Possessed of great wealth already, Frederick growls that Henry is "useless" and leaves him behind.

Barozzi arrives late to Eleanora's burning but a masked woman is on the pyre which is set alight.

She tells Alberto that the Empress saved her life by substituting another woman to be burned in her place and moving the time of her execution so that Barozzi and the Emperor would not find out.

The film ends with an onscreen text saying that three days after the battle of Legnano, Barbarossa reappeared at the court of Pavia.

The audience is told "Alberto da Giussano lived a long life with Eleanora, and they had several children.

The production was filmed on locations in Romania, including Alba Iulia, Bucharest and Hunedoara.