An exceptionally picturesque fairytale story about 16-year-old Baltazar's journey of initiation around renaissance Europe. The journey is also a search for answers to the key questions - about the meaning of life and the most important values, on the philosophical level of union with the absolute and transition from life to death.
The young, 16-year-old Baltazar is the son of doctor Sigismund. During a walk, he meets a stranger on the embankment. Much to his surprise, he realizes it is archangel Gabriel, who orders him to walk through the purifying fire. The flames do not do Baltazar any harm, and thus begins his amazing journey to Jerusalem. The boy is admitted to a theological seminary. It turns out that thanks to his exceptional sensitivity he can contact the nether world. Baltazar finds himself surrounded by spirits of the dead, including troublesome fallen angel Flamand, who is the personification of Satan. On his way back from his father's funeral, Baltazar meets extraordinary traveler Pappagallo. Pappagallo believes that theology constitutes a threat to the boy's mind and takes him to a camp of comedians as an antidote. This is where Baltazar meets beautiful lute player Rosa. In the morning, it turns out that the camp is empty. Baltazar decides to leave the seminary and spends the night in an inn suggested to him by Flamand. His mother comes to him in a vision. She tells him that he helped a man sentenced to death by burning at the stake by the inquisition. He also meets alchemist Fryderyk, who tells him that he has been chosen for great things. With the inquisition on his back, Baltazar leaves the inn and goes to Venice. Once there, he meets a monk called Strozzi, who hides him in Garganella's cathouse. The monk takes Baltazar to Rosa and her friends, who are also in Venice. Baltazar and Rosa ride a gondola through the Venetian canals. The oarsman is wearing a carnival costume of death.
