In 1221, two shipwreck victims land on the coast of Sicily. Both are dressed in the habit of the Franciscan Order. Their names are Julius and Anthony. Anthony kneels before the local bishop asking for forgiveness and begins to tell his story. This is how the story of Saint Anthony of Padua begins. The film tells the story of Fernando di Buglione, a young Portuguese man who, despite his father’s insistence, chooses to take to the cloth, changing his name to Anthony, rather than to fight the Muslims. Anthony, the noble knight who becomes a faithful follower of Saint Francis, dedicates his life to serving the Church with words rather than with the sword. Humble, proud, docile, fiery: these are the many facets of Anthony’s character. In just thirty six years of life, Anthony becomes not only the miracle worker whom everybody knows, but also a passionate defender of justice, solidarity and social peace, the sworn enemy of usury and an untiring preacher who is always on the road …
