The Kingdom of France, 1550, in Brittany. Philibert, a robust and strapping twenty-year-old, the oldest son of an artichoke farmer, stands out among the other village lads. Idealistic, candid, he foresees a glorious future in artichokes and preserves his virginity for she who he doesn't know yet but who God will send his way. Before passing away, his father informs Philibert that he is not his real father. The latter was in fact a gentleman, Fulgence Bérendourt de Saint-Avoise, murdered in a cowardly way by a Burgundian wiho has a birthmark in the shape of a rose on his neck. His knapsack filled with ideals and artichokes, Philibert leaves his village and gallops towards Burgandy, accompanied by Martin, his rather crafty valet. Philibert's courage, kindness, and physical and moral purity will be put to a harsh test when confronted with the baseness and venality of villans and the temptation of women, each more libidinous than the last.