The Betrothed (I Promessi sposi) is an Italian historical novel by Alessandro Manzoni (1785 – 1873); it was first published in 1827. Set in Lombardy during the Spanish occupation of the late 1620s, The Betrothed tells the story of two young lovers, Renzo and Lucia, prevented from marrying by the petty tyrant Don Rodrigo, who desires Lucia for himself. Forced to flee, they are then cruelly separated, and must face many dangers including plague, famine and imprisonment, and confront a variety of strange characters - the mysterious Nun of Monza, the fiery Father Cristoforo and the sinister “Unnamed” - in their struggle to be reunited.   The novel was a fundamental milestone in the development of the modern, unified Italian language and is also noted for the extraordinary description of the plague that struck Milan around 1630. “This is not just a book; it offers consolation to the whole of humanity.” - Giuseppe Verdi Published by Reprint Society in 1945. Book is in good condition. Binding intact. With dust jacket.