Have You Discovered This Italian Masterpiece?
This month we focus on The Betrothed, an Italian literary masterpiece Italians revere, but most Americans have never heard of.
Why read this nearly two centuries-old novel about a young couple, priest, and a local strongman set in 1628 in Italy’s Lake Como region?
- The Betrothed (I promessi sposi) offers a deep, yet entertaining, portrayal of life in the Lombardy region in the 1600s.
- In Italy, this historical novel is considered the nation’s literary masterpiece, penned by Alessandro Manzoni, famed as a poet and philosopher, as well as a novelist.
- Thanks to a new English translation, the first in 50 years, the novel is now a much smoother read for English readers.
What’s the story?
- Lucia and Renzo, an endearing peasant couple anticipate their wedding the following day. Disaster strikes when a local baron who wants Lucia for himself uses his power to prevent their marriage.
- The remainder of the novel (a years-long saga!) reveals the extensive fallout of that single evil deed, as well as the beneficial repercussions of some characters’ positive choices.
Although The Betrothed has high as well as low moments, the author spares no effort to detail the suffering and powerlessness of innocent, low-born people. He raises questions:
- How can God, the Church, and the justice system allow this?
- How do people cope with all these crises?
- Heavy-handed military domination of their region (by Spain), followed by German invasion
- Corrupt justice system allowing virtual free reign of petty strongmen and criminal gangs
- Church officials (with notable exceptions) who often turned a blind eye to injustice and oppression of common people
- Famine
- Plague (perhaps brought by soldiers) in Milan and surrounding areas in 1630
Characters:
This novel has many characters, but it follows the lives of several key individuals, revealing how each one responds to these hardships:
- Renzo – a hard-working young man who has saved his earnings in preparation for marriage to Lucia; he endures many undeserved perils
- Lucia – Renzo’s fiancée, a simple, pious peasant whose circumstances force her to choose between terrible options
- Don Rodrigo – main villain, a local baron/strongman who wants Lucia for himself and will stop at nothing to have her
- Don Abbondio – the parish priest who cowers under threats from henchmen of Don Rodrigo; he refuses to marry Renzo and Lucia
- Padre Cristoforo – Capuchin friar rescued from a death sentence; he responds by showing mercy to peasants
- Federico Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan – wise, compassionate cardinal
- Agnese – Lucia’s well-meaning mother, she schemes to trick the priest into marrying Lucia to Renzo
- The Unnamed – greatest robber baron, his change of heart transforms the lives of many
- The Nun of Monza – an unfortunate woman sentenced by her family to life in a convent, she plays a key role in the story
Strengths:
The plot is fascinating, with many entertaining twists, and it plunges the reader into the culture and events of the era.
Weakness:
This novel is very long, and modern readers may wish to skim through the many pages of historical background.
Content review:
This novel contains violence and suggestions but no explicit descriptions of physical intimacy.
I recommend this novel to intellectually curious readers ready for an immersion into the culture of 17th-century Lombardy, especially if they plan to travel to the regions near Lake Como and Milan.
Reader, what’s your favorite novel set in Italy?