Swiss Guard

SYNOPSIS FOR SWISS GUARD BY JOEL GOULET

Rome

Optioned property of Gilt Entertainment Corporation

The year is 1524. The story takes place in Spain, Switzerland, and Italy. Charles V entertaining a mistress by the name of Mirella at his Granada, Spain palace. Like others before her, Mirella has been well trained in swordsmanship by Charles.

In Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland, brothers Filippo and Gian da Montone are talking about Gian’s service to King Francis as a Swiss mercenary. Filippo announces that he will be returning to the King’s army with Gian. They set out early in the morning to join the French encampment.

Mirella has fled the royal place in the company of her maidservant Amalia. Charles is enraged, and orders that she be brought back to him. He offers a thousand coins to the one who returns her to him. In the Spanish countryside Mirella and Amalia encounter three Imperial soldiers who explain they must return Mirella to Charles. Mirella engages in a sword fight with the soldiers, quickly killing one of them. Amalia shoots a soldier with a small cross bow. After a brief fight Mirella kills the third soldier. Amalia recommends they travel to her home village.

The French army enters Amalia’s village late in the evening. Filippo meets Mirella at a well. It is love at first sight. They spend the night together. Three Imperial soldiers attempt to take Mirella, hoping to collect the reward Charles has offered. They are fought off by Filippo, Gian, and two brothers, Stefan and Johann Bindella.

Filippo’s brother Gian is killed at Pavia. The remnants of the French army crawl back to Mirella’s village. Mirella gives comfort to Filippo through the night. In the morning he vows to return for her, then rides off to his home to deliver word of Gian’s death.

Charles has not given up on his search for Mirella. He orders a woman named Catalina to take command of a small group of soldiers and find Mirella. Catalina is cruel, blood thirsty, and merciless. She despises and hates Mirella, so she agrees to take up the search with pleasure.

In her village, Mirella enters her hut. Catalina enters just behind her. Catalina draws a sword. She tells Mirella that she will not be conscious when they leave the hut to return to the Emperor. Amalia enters the hut. Catalina immediately stabs Amalia without a word spoken. Mirella knocks the sword from Catalina. They roll on the floor, fighting. Mirella grabs a vase and knocks Catalina out. A dying Amalia tells Mirella to go to Rome where it will be safe for her.

A year passes before Filippo’s father tells him to return to Mirella. He had been afraid to leave the family farm, leaving his father with all the work. A friend promises to help with the farm, allowing Filippo to leave. He returns to Mirella’s village. He meets Renzo da Ceri, an officer of Rome’s army. He tells Filippo that Mirella has gone to Rome, and convinces Filippo to travel there with him. In Rome Filippo is asked by the Pope to become his personal guard. Filippo declines the offer.

In Rome Filippo finds Mirella, but she has married. Depressed, Filippo accepts the Pope’s offer and joins the Swiss Guards.

Charles is angry that the Pope had deceived him yet again. He orders an army to go to Rome, and teach the Pope one last lesson of obedience. The army savagely attacks Rome. Pope Clement is forced to escape to Castel Saint Angelo. Filippo, the Bindella brothers, Renzo, and a handful of Swiss Guards protect the Pope. More than a hundred Swiss Guards are killed fighting back the invading imperial soldiers.

During the Sack of Rome, Mirella’s husband is mortally wounded. He tells Filippo that six Imperial soldiers took Mirella from the city with intentions of returning her to Charles. Filippo and the Bindella brothers leave Rome to rescue Mirella. They catch up with the soldiers twenty miles from Rome. The soldiers are no match for Filippo and the Brothers. Mirella also kills one of the soldiers. They decide to head for a place called Marsh Haven. One soldier fakes being killed but is severely wounded.

Catalina visits the wounded soldier in a hut. He is on a bed of straw. After telling her how Mirella escaped, and that he overheard them mention Marsh Haven, Catalina calls him a coward and sets the bed on fire. The hut burns to the ground. She orders the hut owners killed.

Alone, Mirella explains to Filippo why she never told him she was the Emperor’s mistress. As they are returning to their horses, they and the brothers, are surrounded by soldiers from a nearby fortress. Johann Bindella is severely wounded and left to die. Stefen, Filippo, and Mirella are taken to the fortress to await Catalina’s arrival. At night the captives escape their cell, and set fire to the fortress powder room. The fortress explodes.

Catalina arrives to find the fortress burning and Mirella’s group escaped. She kills the fortress commander for failing the Emperor. Filippo, Mirella, and Stefan make their way to a nearby village, and steal three horses. It is the same village where Johann Bindella was taken to attend to his wounds. Filippo’s group does not know Johann is there. They ride off on the horses.

In the morning Johann wakes, takes a horse, and rides off. A short time later Catalina and her soldiers arrive. They find out that three horses were taken and that one villager had given aid to Johann. Catalina kills the woman who had cared for Johann, then orders the village burnt to the ground.

Johann is riding down a road and finds a Swiss mercenary army lead by Johann von Diesbach, who had led the Swiss at Pavia. Von Diesbach insists on taking a large number of men and accompanying Johann to Marsh Haven to aid Filippo.

At Marsh Haven Stefan is in a tavern with a young woman. Catalina sits at his table and orders Stefan to tell her where Mirella is. The young lady had betrayed Stefan and told Catalina about Stefan. Stefan refuses to say anything. Catalina has him tied between two horses. The young woman tells Catalina that Mirella is in some castle ruins outside of the village. Catalina kills the woman for lying to her when first asked about Mirella. The horses are slapped and jump forward, killing Stefan.

In the morning Catalina’s soldiers surround the castle ruins. Von Diesbach’s soldiers arrive at Marsh Haven. Catalina’s men abandon her as von Diesbach’s soldiers approach the castle ruins.
Mirella and Catalina engage in a sword fight. They are going up a set of steps. At the top of the steps the wall is missing. After a long duel, Catalina falls off the top of the steps and is killed.

The final scene has Filippo and Mirella at work on Filippo’s family farm. At a distance Renzo is seen riding toward the farm, his horse traveling at a full gallop.

Producer: Marlene Mendoza and Giorgio Serafini
Director: Giorgio Serafini
Production Co. Gilt Entertainment