On Sunday, May 18, 2025, we commemorated Alessandro Manzoni, one of Italy’s most influential writers. Renowned for his masterpiece I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed), Manzoni revolutionized Italian literature and championed the Tuscan dialect, helping to unify the nation linguistically.
Dr. Erika Caturegli, the host for this lecture, a literary enthusiast with a background in modern languages and literature was phenomenal.
ALESSANDRO MANZONI: The Nightmare of Italian Students
WHY MANZONI TODAY?
In 2023, it was the 150th Anniversary of Manzoni’s death.
There’s been an overall will to rediscover this great writer and everything he’s represented to rehabilitate his often mistreated memory. The Dante Alighieri Society in Rome has been conducting lectures and initiatives to discuss Manzoni’s figure and all that he did, even from a linguistic point of view.
Alessandro Manzoni (1785–1873) is a foundational figure in Italian literature and culture, best known for his novel I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed), a masterpiece that combines historical accuracy, moral depth, and linguistic clarity. Though often dreaded by students due to the complexity of his ideas, Manzoni offers rich insights into literature, history, and human nature.
Born in Milan to Giulia Beccaria and Count Pietro Manzoni, Alessandro was raised in an Enlightenment-influenced environment. His maternal grandfather, Cesare Beccaria, was a leading figure against the death penalty. Manzoni later absorbed Romantic ideals, especially during his time in Paris, under the influence of thinkers like Claude Fauriel. This shaped his idea that intellectuals should play a civic role and that history should be interpreted to understand and improve the present.
One of his masterpieces, I Promessi Sposi, first published in 1827 and revised in 1840, is a historical novel set in 17th-century Lombardy, during Spanish domination. Its goal is to tell a love story and explore deeper moral and social themes. Through characters like Renzo, Lucia, Fra Cristoforo, L’Innominato, and the Nun of Monza, Manzoni examines human weakness, the possibility of redemption, and the mysterious workings of divine providence. His characters are never flat: they reflect real human struggles and spiritual transformation.
At the heart of I Promessi Sposi is the theme of Providence: the belief that even suffering and injustice can have a purpose within a divine plan. Manzoni’s Jansenist faith shapes this outlook—grace is not automatic but given selectively, and only some characters can recognize and accept it. Lucia, for example, maintains faith through injustice; Fra Cristoforo seeks redemption for a violent past; and L’Innominato experiences a powerful conversion. Manzoni doesn’t offer simple solutions—God does not intervene directly but sends signs that the characters must interpret.
Manzoni’s literary philosophy—poetica del vero, utile e interessante (“truthful, useful, and interesting”)—meant literature must serve a civic and moral purpose, be based on facts, and still captivate readers. His rejection of gothic or supernatural elements in favor of realism was a deliberate contrast to many contemporary novels.
Finally, I Promessi Sposi played a crucial role in the Italian Risorgimento. It became a unifying cultural work for its patriotic undertones and transparent, modern Italian language model. Through this novel, Manzoni worked to “cleanse” the Italian language, making it more accessible and standard. He was honored with a senatorial title in 1860 and celebrated by figures like Verdi and Garibaldi.
Manzoni’s legacy remains vital: he is not just a novelist, but a thinker who believed in the power of literature to improve individuals and societies.
