The Betrothed

Blurb

The Betrothed is an Italian historical novel by Alessandro Manzoni, first published in 1827, in three volumes. It has been called the most famous and widely read novel of the Italian language.
Set in northern Italy in 1628, during the oppressive years under Spanish rule, it is sometimes seen as a veiled attack on Austria, which controlled the region at the time the novel was written.. It is also noted for the extraordinary description of the plague that struck Milan around 1630.
It deals with a variety of themes, from the cowardly, hypocritical nature of one prelate and the heroic sainthood of other priests, to the unwavering strength of love, and offers some keen insights into the meanderings of the human mind.
I promessi sposi was made into an opera of the same name by Amilcare Ponchielli in 1856 and by Errico Petrella in 1869. There have been many film versions of I promessi sposi, including I Promessi Sposi, 1908, The Betrothed 1941, The Betrothed, 1990, and Renzo and Lucia, made for television in 2004.