# The Name of the Rose (2019)

> In 1327 northern Italy, a Franciscan monk and his young apprentice investigate a chain of mysterious deaths at an isolated Benedictine abbey caught in a clash between the Franciscans and the Avignon papacy.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/73337

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 8
- Episode runtime: 52 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, mystery, history
- Created by: Nigel Williams
- Network: Rai 1
- Cast: John Turturro, Rupert Everett, Damian Hardung, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Tchéky Karyo, Greta Scarano, Richard Sammel, Stefano Fresi
- TMDB rating: 6.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7572868/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: cerebral, brooding, oppressive, intellectual, melancholic

## What critics say

Audiences rate this Italian adaptation of Eco's novel as mixed, admiring its lavish medieval production and cast while feeling the mystery thins the novel's philosophical breadth.

## Synopsis

The Name of the Rose (2019) is an Italian national television miniseries created by Nigel Williams for Rai 1, adapting Umberto Eco's novel into an eight-episode limited series. Franciscan monk William of Baskerville (John Turturro) and his young apprentice Adso of Melk (Damian Hardung) arrive at an isolated Benedictine abbey in the Alps, sent to mediate a dispute between the Franciscan Order and the Avignon papacy. Their engine is a sequence of mysterious deaths within the walls, where William's sharp reasoning collides with the suspicion of the inquisitor Bernardo Gui (Rupert Everett) and the rigid silences of the monks. Each episode peels back another layer of forbidden texts, doctrinal rivalry and hidden libraries, so the investigation doubles as a debate over faith, reason and power. Set in 1327 northern Italy, the atmosphere is cold, candlelit and oppressive, with stone corridors and a creeping sense of dread. The tone is cerebral and brooding, rooted in the intellectual texture of medieval scholarship. Viewers who enjoy the 1986 film, Sherlock Holmes and Broadchurch-style enclosed mysteries will find resonance in its patient, dialogue-driven pacing and its blend of whodunit structure with historical drama.

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