Astonishing. Ravishing. A very long book that is all too short. ( )

I have had friends planning trips to Italy ask me for reading suggestions. “I Promessi Sposi” (The Betrothed) is always at the top of the list. For the reader seeking deeper knowledge of Italy this book serves a couple of purposes.

First of all, like War and Peace, it is an historical novel with well-drawn characters inserted into an accurately described place and time. The novel takes place in Lombardy (the area in northern Italy surrounding Milan) between 1628 and 1631. It describes the story of Renzo and Lucia, and the extraordinary difficulties they encountered getting married. The centerpiece of the tale is the Great Plague of Milan, brought to northern Italy by French and German troops engaged in the 30-Years’ War. Manzoni’s description of the horrible conditions that descended upon Milan is riveting. I Promessi Sposi gives the reader great insight into the history and culture of post-renaissance Italy. Because the book is so good, one can absorb an enormous amount of history painlessly.

Secondly, because this is truly the greatest Italian novel, all educated Italians are familiar with it. I can promise the reader who travels to Italy that he will surprise those he meets when he displays familiarity with this beloved and extremely Italian work. I remember discussing the book with several Italians while having dinner in a small village near Milan. I mentioned an episode in the book that I said had taken place near Lake Como.
“Lecco!” I was instantly corrected. They all knew the book and my bonehead error was not allowed to pass.

Intellectually a child of the French Enlightenment, Manzoni became a devout catholic and the book reflects his deeply felt religious beliefs. Don’t let his didacticism put you off. This is a beautiful book. One hundred years ago it was standard reading even in America, but sadly it is largely ignored here. Get a copy and let Manzoni take you back to another place and time. It’s an adventure you will enjoy. ( )

An epic tale of two Italian commoners, their love for each other, and their battle with powerful forces ruling their country. A classic Italian epic. Recommended. ( )

Italy in the 17th century ( )

Greatly admired by Sir Walter Scott and the subject of a Requiem Mass by Verdi,Manzoni's THE BETROTHED is a work of immense historical significance.It is both a powerful dramatic account in its own right and one which marks the literary genesis of standard Italian.Remarkable for the intensity of its portrayal of plague-ravaged seventeenth-century Lombardy,through the lives of two lovers THE BETROTHED explores the corrupt and oppressive rule of Lombardy's Spanish oppressors and also,by implication,of the later Austrians.

Set in Lombardy during the wars, famine and plague of 1628-30, The Betrothed tells the story of two young lovers. Following them through exile, plague and inner suffering, it shows great richness of characterization and a profound interest in the workings of history. Renzo and Lucia's story is also a compelling political analysis of their times; published in 1827, The Betrothed is the first modern Italian novel.