Liz Cummings travels to Urbino, Italy, with a team of researchers from the University Museum of Philadelphia to investigate the recent discovery of a skeleton belonging to an early Renaissance nobleman. Liz is astonished when she receives an intense electrical shock after touching the large, deep blue amulet that was buried with the nobleman. She's even more shocked when she discovers a likeness of herself painted on a nearby chapel wall. Intrigued, she touches the painting. Suddenly, she's lying in a crumpled heap on the granite floor of the chapel surrounded by dozens of workers speaking rapid Italian. Liz soon surmises that she has traveled back in time and must think quickly to save her life. Masquerading as a young boy, she obtains a position as an apprentice and personal aide to the achingly handsome fresco painter, Piero della Francesca.
Maintaining the charade becomes difficult as Liz develops feelings for Piero. At the same time, her brother, Lou Cummings, searches for her and arrives to take her back. She must decide if she will return to present-day America and resume her previous life or remain in Renaissance Italy with the man she loves.