The year is 1502, and Italy is ablaze with artistic radiance, sexual corruption, and political intrigue. Into this seething cauldron comes a vagabond of improbable erudition and outrageous appearance who calls himself Harlequin. With the help of an aging, resourceful whore named Colombina, Harlequin gathers together a band of fugitives, misfits and thieves and invents a new form of people's theater -- commedia dell'arte.