Betrothed

Under the generous sun of Lombardy blooms the love of a young couple — Renzo and Lucia. The wedding day is already set, but, unfortunately for her, the girl catches the eye of a noble suitor, Don Rodrigo. The village padre, intimidated by the self-willed feudal lord, begins to dodge, refusing to marry the betrothed. The lovers' desire to live in lawful marriage despite the absurd objections of the padre leads to a series of events, starting in the style of commedia dell'arte and unfolding against the backdrop of the grand historical panorama of Italian life in the seventeenth century with all its upheavals, including war, plague, and famine.
Alessandro Manzoni's novel is rightly considered not only an immortal classic of Italian literature and a foundational work in the development of the modern Italian language but also a symbol of the Risorgimento — the national movement for Italy's liberation from foreign rule. However, the main merit of this vivid narrative, rich in plot lines and characters, lies in the convincing triumph of simple and pure love, which even the horsemen of the Apocalypse cannot trample.