Brief summary Full Promessi Sposi, plot of the great historical novel by Alessandro Manzoni, considered the most representative work of the Italian Risorgimento and Romanticism.
Chapter 1
As he walks immersed in his thoughts along a lane that runs alongside Lake Como, Don Abbondio, curate of the town, is immersed in his thoughts. At a certain point two shady individuals appear before him, the "good ones" who work for a noble Spanish gentleman. The criminals tell Don Abbondio that their owner, Don Rodrigo, absolutely does not want him to celebrate the marriage between Renzo and Lucia. With the weak character that is found, the curate does not hesitate for a moment and tells them that he will obey their lord by not celebrating the wedding. Back home, visibly disturbed, he finds his maid, Perpetua.
Chapter 2
The next day Renzo, who went to the church, is informed that the wedding cannot be celebrated immediately due to certain formalities. But Renzo is not someone who drinks it easily and when he is about to leave he finds Perpetua who, after his insistence, lets slip that there are much more serious causes. Renzo is furious and again calls on Don Abbondio who finally admits that the impediment is Don Rodrigo. So Renzo desperate goes to Lucia's house to communicate the sad news to her.
Chapter 3
At Lucia's home, a discussion was held between Renzo, Agnese (Lucia's mother) and Lucia about what to do, Lucia admits that she inadvertently aroused the interest of Don Rodrigo, the three decided to consult the best lawyer, Dr. Azzecca- Garbugli. But the lawyer, as soon as he learns that they have fallen victim to Don Rodrigo, refuses the position without giving any explanation on the matter, he is afraid of any retaliation by the powerful. Lucia tries to convince her mother to speak with Fra Cristoforo, a Capuchin monk of her trust. By combination, Fra Galdino goes to them to ask for nuts for the convent and Lucia, greeting him, gives him a message to bring to Fra Cristoforo. Meanwhile Renzo arrives embittered by Azzecca-Garbugli's refusal and the two women try to console him by saying that they have asked for the intervention of Fra Cristoforo.
Chapter 4
After receiving the message, Fra Cristoforo went to the house of the two women. This chapter describes a little the life of the friar who, the son of a wealthy merchant, in a duel killed a nobleman with whom he had quarreled and for this, as punishment, he became a friar also changing his name from Ludovico in Cristoforo .
Chapter 5
After having the situation explained, Father Cristoforo goes to the palace to speak with Don Rodrigo when a banquet is underway to which the landlord has also invited his cousin Count Attilio along with other prominent people. The friar is invited to participate and is also called to give his opinion on some issues they are debating.
Chapter 6
As soon as he is received on the sidelines, Fra Cristoforo begins to accuse Don Rodrigo of his malice, and, threatening the revenge of God, tries to make him desist from his evil purpose. But he is expelled from the palace. Meanwhile, at Lucia's home, Agnese illustrates her plan to be able to tear the marriage away from Don Abbondio by suddenly presenting himself with two witnesses declaring his intention to marry. In this way, as usual, the marriage could be validated. Lucia, of sound principles, is not so convinced but Renzo is instead enthusiastic and goes to look for the two witnesses.
Chapter 7
Upon hearing of the failure of Fra Cristoforo's mission at Don Rodrigo's palace, Renzo is furious and Lucia agrees to implement the mother's plan. A beggar goes to Lucia's house to ask for alms but in reality scrutinizes the environment. He is an officer in charge of Don Rodrigo, under the orders of the chief of the good, Griso. They are preparing Lucia's kidnapping! Towards evening, the two fiancés, Agnese and the witnesses silently walk towards Don Abbondio's home.
Chapter 8
The "surprise" attempt at marriage fails because Don Abbondio furiously raises the alarm by ringing the bells. Renzo & C flee the fields and are warned to go to the convent of Fra Cristoforo by a boy who, sent by the friar to warn them, had found the good ones in their home. Meanwhile, the country has woken up with that noise and is in turmoil because it does not understand what is going on. Upon reaching the convent, they find Fra Cristoforo who has already organized their escape: the two women will go to Monza with the nun while Renzo will go to Milan. In the night they embark and begin the crossing of the lake.
Chapter 9
Renzo, Lucia and Agnese reach the eastern part of Lake Como, then Monza, and greet each other there. Renzo goes to Milan, the women to the Capuchin convent, where they meet the guardian father, to whom Fra Cristoforo recommended them. They then proceed to the monastery of Santa Margherita, where Geltrude, a nun of a noble family lives.In the physical aspect it seems anything but a nun and her story is told, that of a girl forced by the family to become a nun against her will.
Chapter 10
Gertrude thus becomes a nun but she is not happy and often despairs. While unable, he has relationships with men, in particular with Egidio and with him he also commits a murder to prevent it from being known. After this parenthesis on the history of the nun of Monza, Lucia and Agnese enter the scene, welcomed by Geltrude with much generosity.
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Chapter 11
On his return, Griso is reprimanded by Don Rodrigo for the failure of the mission. After a heated discussion in which his cousin Attilio also takes part, the responsibility of the fiasco is attributed to Fra Cristoforo and they decide to put pressure on the uncle to get the friar's transfer. Don Rodrigo then instructs the head of the good ones to investigate to find out where Lucia is. Through word of mouth, Griso discovers that Lucia is in Monza and is sent to the site to continue the research. Meanwhile Renzo arrives in Milan where a popular revolt is underway.
Chapter 12
This chapter recounts the Milanese revolt of San Martino, which actually happened on 11 November 1628, when the people stormed the bread ovens.
Chapter 13
The angry crowd throws themselves against the vicar's palace from the lynching and only the intervention of the governor prevents him from being lynched.
Chapter 14
Renzo, by venting his pains by making a speech among the people about the injustices that the poor people must suffer from the powerful. A plainclothes policeman takes him to the tavern and after having made him drunk he lets himself be told his true personalities. Renzo goes to sleep completely tipsy.
Chapter 15
Renzo is reported to justice by the innkeeper as he did not want to reveal his personal details. The police go to Renzo's room trying to induce him to follow them, but outside there is a crowd in turmoil and Renzo asks for help. To escape lynching, the cops run away leaving Renzo free.
Chapter 16
On his way from Milan to Bergamo, where he hopes to find help from his cousin Bortolo, Renzo learns at the tavern while he is eating that he has run a very big risk in Milan as he is now sought after as a fugitive and for this reason he immediately starts walking again.
Chapter 17
After leaving the tavern, Renzo continues his journey in the dark, along the Adda. At some point he stops to sleep in an abandoned hut along the river. At dawn he leaves and reaches his cousin in Bergamo who welcomes him joyfully, willing to help him. He was hired by his cousin as a factory worker.
Chapter 18
In his country, Renzo is wanted by the police to no avail. Don Rodrigo, who is increasingly intent on kidnapping Lucia, thinks he is going to seek help from a man more powerful than he to find Lucia. Agnese, worried about Renzo's lack of news, learns that Father Cristoforo has been transferred to Rimini.
Chapter 19
Count Attilio and count uncle obtain the transfer of the friar while Don Rodrigo goes to the Unnamed to organize a new kidnapping of Lucia.
Chapter 20
The Unnamed sends the leader of his bravo, the Nibbio, to Egidio, the mistress of the Monza nun. Gertrude and Egidio bring Lucia out of the convent with an excuse so that the good ones gudati by Nibbio can kidnap her and take her to their lord's castle.
Chapter 21
The Unnamed is disturbed by Lucia's crying. During the night, while the girl promises to take religious vows if she is freed, the Unnamed is taken by such remorse that she thinks of committing suicide. But the following day, awakened by the bells, a profound conversion takes place in him.
Chapter 22
The Unnamed, leaves the castle and leaves said not to disturb Lucia, to let her sleep and to tell her that on her return she will do whatever she wants. He then went to Cardinal Federico Borromeo to obtain reassuring words.
Chapter 23
The meeting between the Unnamed and the cardinal ends with a strong embrace of reconciliation. Made aware of the story of Lucia, the cardinal called Don Abbondio, casually in the area together with other parish priests and instructed him to take Lucia from the castle. Don Abbondio starts frightened towards the castle together with the Unnamed.
Chapter 24
Lucia is thus freed. The Unnamed tells his men that if they want to remain employed, they will have to change their lives as he did.
Chapter 25
In order not to meet Cardinal Don Rodrigo he decides to leave the country and return to Milan. The prelate is welcomed by Don Abbondio to whom he asks for information about Renzo. Donna Prassede, a rich lady hosts Lucia and the cardinal asks Don Abbondio why he has not yet celebrated the wedding of the two fiancés.
Chapter 26
Don Abbondio, while not hiding his good reasons, repent. The Unnamed as a wedding gift gives Lucia a hundred gold shields. Lucia reveals to her mother the vow made on the night of the kidnapping. They think they will send half of the sum to Renzo and ask him to stop thinking about the wedding.But they cannot track him down as the man has changed his name to Antonio Rivolta's and has changed jobs by moving to another spinning mill.
Chapter 27
Renzo continues to hide as he does not trust from experience of political power. He would like to contact Agnese and Lucia. In the end he found the means and one day he received 50 shields from Agnese together with a letter in which he was told that Lucia could not marry him because of the vow of chastity. But Renzo does not mean reason, he now wants to marry her and wants to fight to make her change her mind. On the contrary, Donna Prassede tries to free Lucia's mind from Renzo's image by speaking ill of Renzo, but obtaining the opposite effect.
Chapter 28
In this chapter Manzoni abandons his characters and draws a historical picture in which there was a drop in the price of bread which, by increasing the consumption of it by a hungry people, led to the exhaustion of stocks. Hunger spread, unemployment increased, even farmers from the countryside poured into the city. Cardinal Federigo organized the relief in that case too, going around the city with six priests and groups of porters loaded with various foods and clothing to give comfort to the needy. Then the plague spreads.
Chapter 29
To escape the looting, Don Abbondio, Perpetua and Agnese take refuge in the castle of the Unnamed.
Chapter 30
Don Rodrigo and Griso fall ill with plague and die. Renzo also falls ill, but survives and heals, thanks to his strong farmer physique. As soon as he is cured he returns to his country in search of Lucia. Renzo also passes by his vineyard, now only a group of brushwood remains.
Chapters 31 and 32
In Milan, after the passage of foreign militias, the plague is rampant, creating havoc. The cardinal in good faith orders a penitential procession which, however, further transmits the infection. There are believed to be greasers sent by the enemy to spread the plague by greasing the doors and walls of the houses.
Chapter 33
Don Abbondio learns that Perpetua died along with many others.
Chapter 34
When he entered Milan, Renzo found the terrible signs of the disease everywhere and learned that Lucia was at the hospital, the plague hospital.
Chapter 35
Renzo enters the hospital, which is very well described as a set of huts and small buildings, where the sick are treated with the comfort of the Capuchins at best. After a long time, Renzo sees Fra Cristoforo again and greets him with much affection. The friar says that, after being in Rimini for a few years, he was called back to Milan to be used for the service of the sick. Renzo tells him about his vicissitudes and reveals that he is now looking for Lucia. They don't know if the girl is still alive, but if by chance it wasn't, Renzo promises to take revenge on Don Rodrigo who is the main cause of their misfortunes. But Fra Cristoforo immediately calls him to forgiveness and charity as a good Christian must do. He, having committed the murder of a man, knows that the path of revenge does nothing but turn away from God. True justice is charity that sows good in the world and at least partially compensates for all the evil done in view of a world best. Renzo then convinces himself to forgive his rival. Accompanied by the friar, in a hut Renzo finds Don Rodrigo dying.
Chapter 36
Finally Renzo tracks Lucia and Fra Cristoforo releases her from the vow made. Renzo runs to warn Agnese of the imminent return of her daughter.
Chapter 37
Just outside the hospital Renzo is surprised by a storm that washes the plague away. Return to the village to wait for Lucia who will return as soon as the quarantine is over. Between Christopher, Prassede woman and Don Ferrante die and a trial is opened against the nun of Monza.
Chapter 38
Lucia returns to the village and Don Abbondio, having learned that Don Rodrigo's palace is now occupied by his heir, finally decides to marry the two lovers. The newlyweds move to Bergamo with Agnese.
