Richard Armitage is to lead the cast of historical crime thriller, The Man from Rome.

The story follows Father Lorenzo Quart (Armitage), an agent of the Vatican’s intelligence system, who is sent to Seville in Spain to investigate several mysterious killings at a crumbling church, under threat of being torn down.

Along the way, he encounters a range of peculiar and less-than-honest characters, including an aristocratic divorcee, an old foe in the form of an Archbishop and a henchman working for a group of real estate investors. 

Armitage will be joined in the film by Paz Vega, John Leguizamo and Geraldine Chaplin.

It is based on the bestselling book of the same name by Spanish author Arturo Perez-Reverte and set to start shooting in Spain in February.