I found a short article that discusses in detail the hairstyle worn by Lucia for her ill-fated wedding day. I'm assuming Lorenzo and Lucia were both common names of the time, though my association with them is primarily of the de Medici and di Lammermoor (Donizetti's opera was premiered in 1835, about halfway between the first and final editions of The Betrothed). I thought both ingenue hero and heroine, despite being from the lower classes, were given an air of dignity and grace on these pages. Here is the article about the "Sperada" hair pins: https://www.ascasonline.org/articoloSETTE64.html
They are pretty common names even nowadays. Less common is the original name for Renzo, "Fermo", in "Fermo e Lucia" the 1828 first-version title. It may have been a more common name in Lombardy at the time and it was definitely more common maybe 50 years ago but more recently I don't think I've heard naming their kid Fermo
There is the dramatic action of a play with each of the conversations beginning with the priest’s poor fudging with “the rules” after giving Renzo the green light. Then Renzo on the road with wonderful Perpetua and her mixed loyalties for the priest not wanting him to get the blame but not being a great secret keeper. And the showdown back at the Priest’s and his losing all his lying skills. And finally with all this growing emotion inside Renzo, Lucia has some answers. Whew!
Renzo "appeared before Don Abbondio all dressed up, with colored feathers in his cap, the fine handle of his dagger sticking out of his trouser pocket, and an attitude both festive and cocky."
This lifted my heart, thinking of the heroes of my early formative reading experiences, D'Artagnon, Edmond Dantes, Musashi.
Interesting that it's a portrait of Maria and a cranky/suspicious nun on the cover, not Renzo!
My sister has a delicate garnet necklace that sounds like the one Maria wore. It's one of the only pieces our Italian great-grandmother didn't send back to family so that they could donate to Mussolini. These powerful bad men do inspire loyalty.
I noticed this little bit today: on Maria's face there was also "the placid, rueful sorrow that often appears on the faces of brides, and without marring their beauty, gives them a special character." First, that was likely a challenge to translate! Second, I wonder at both the cause of the sorrow (impending servitude in marriage?) as well as who our narrator is that finds this sorrow intriguing rather than sad.
..."rueful sorrow" Yes it's an intriguing observation. My thoughts were more about life being about to change and reflection on how something's lost when something's gained.
This dialogue is brilliant. Renzo gradually drags the truth out of her by seizing on subtle clues she's being evasive.
“'Me? What makes you think that I would know my master’s secrets?' 'I knew there was something fishy about this,' thought Renzo. And to bring that something something to light, he went on. 'Come now, Perpetua, we’re old friends. Tell me what you know. Give a boy a hand.' 'It’s a terrible thing to be born poor, my dear Renzo.' 'True,' he continued, feeling more confirmed in his suspicions."
This novel has been called operatic. I can imagine this back and forth between Renzo and the buffo Perpetua in song and music on the stage.
"The troublemakers, the tyrants, all those who wrong others in any way, are guilty not only of the wrongs they do but also of the way they pervert the minds of their victims." Truer words...
The first sighting of Renzo: “As soon as the hour seemed right to appear before the priest without being too intrusive, he went, with the joyful exuberance of a twenty-year-old man who on that day is going to marry the girl loves.”. I cried when I read this, knowing what is to come. “Joyful” - just one word, and it undid me.
Renzo is an “easygoing youth averse to bloodshed, a pure-hearted boy who hated all intrigues.” And Lucia in her wedding finery “all dressed up by her mother’s hands,” are menaced on their wedding day by the evil Don Rodrigo who lives behind a fortress. Perfect soap opera/telenovela set-up with a whole set of supporting characters. And we get to see it unfold one episode at a time ❤️
I feel/fear my reflection today is but a pale one next to the text (and the wonderful images!) proper. Hard to do the interactions, which are so effervescent, even evanescent, justice. The characters speed through their loves, their lives so quickly, and I wish they might just slow down and heed their own advice, patience. It's so hard, though, when someone else tells you to be patient. It's like a state of mind that one has to be in the right state of mind to be in...but I did like the nice moment of collusion over the lie that the Don is sick. Wonderful chapter to read, next to the inevitable comparison, Don Quixote chapter on the collusion between the servant and the the Quixote over sorting which books to keep and discard.
I’m still waiting to see what happens - yet all of the initial non-bravi characters seem like innocent victims. What was the priest supposed to do? But also, what was Renzo supposed to do after hearing that weak excuse? And, then the bride - trying to save face after massive disappointment. I’m quite baffled as to the alternative options available at this stage…
Perpetua did suggest an alternative to Abbondio, that is to tell the archbishop, who could have given his support to him. But Abbondio was too afraid to do anything other than think of how to save his skin with the least trouble. Sorry I'm so late, I just started!
Wonderful chapter sets us up for all that follows, with characters that seem impossible not to love. The description of the bride, dressed in her finery was so beautiful, especially the placid, rueful sorrow on her face that brides have. Reminds me of new mother's faces, the knowledge that appears in their (our) faces. We know miraculous, sorrowful, joyous things we did not know the day before. Perhaps the bride's face foreshadows the mothers.
trying to gauge how tough renzo is (both now, versus back in the early 17th century). he says to the priest marry us in one week or else, then locks him in and demands to know who's behind the delay. seems as tough as the bravi, but -- he's in love.
I’m struck by Manzoni’s depictions of emotions—reminds me of my reading of Persuasion for a class on Literature & Philosophy of Emotions & how Austen seamlessly transitions from one emotion to the next, or shows how complicated a single emotion can be.
From today’s reading:
“He remembered God, the Blessed Mother, and the saints, and he thought back to the consolation he had felt so many times at being untainted by crime, at his horror whenever he heard talk of murder. And he roused himself from that dream of bloodshed with feelings of shock and remorse, together with a sense of relief that all he had done was imagine it.”
I found a short article that discusses in detail the hairstyle worn by Lucia for her ill-fated wedding day. I'm assuming Lorenzo and Lucia were both common names of the time, though my association with them is primarily of the de Medici and di Lammermoor (Donizetti's opera was premiered in 1835, about halfway between the first and final editions of The Betrothed). I thought both ingenue hero and heroine, despite being from the lower classes, were given an air of dignity and grace on these pages. Here is the article about the "Sperada" hair pins: https://www.ascasonline.org/articoloSETTE64.html
They are pretty common names even nowadays. Less common is the original name for Renzo, "Fermo", in "Fermo e Lucia" the 1828 first-version title. It may have been a more common name in Lombardy at the time and it was definitely more common maybe 50 years ago but more recently I don't think I've heard naming their kid Fermo
Thanks for the article. Manzoni was originally going to call Renzo “Fermo.”
In the early draft (1822, not the first edition of 1827).
There is the dramatic action of a play with each of the conversations beginning with the priest’s poor fudging with “the rules” after giving Renzo the green light. Then Renzo on the road with wonderful Perpetua and her mixed loyalties for the priest not wanting him to get the blame but not being a great secret keeper. And the showdown back at the Priest’s and his losing all his lying skills. And finally with all this growing emotion inside Renzo, Lucia has some answers. Whew!
Hey Perpetua (and you too Don Abbondio) … loose lips sink ships.
Madonnina infilzata, that Would be the dismissive way of referring to Lucia based on this picture...
Renzo "appeared before Don Abbondio all dressed up, with colored feathers in his cap, the fine handle of his dagger sticking out of his trouser pocket, and an attitude both festive and cocky."
This lifted my heart, thinking of the heroes of my early formative reading experiences, D'Artagnon, Edmond Dantes, Musashi.
btw. lives musashi. thank you for the reference
*loved
Interesting that it's a portrait of Maria and a cranky/suspicious nun on the cover, not Renzo!
My sister has a delicate garnet necklace that sounds like the one Maria wore. It's one of the only pieces our Italian great-grandmother didn't send back to family so that they could donate to Mussolini. These powerful bad men do inspire loyalty.
I noticed this little bit today: on Maria's face there was also "the placid, rueful sorrow that often appears on the faces of brides, and without marring their beauty, gives them a special character." First, that was likely a challenge to translate! Second, I wonder at both the cause of the sorrow (impending servitude in marriage?) as well as who our narrator is that finds this sorrow intriguing rather than sad.
My guess is that Manzoni always recognizes, and acknowledges, the mixed feelings a person has, even on happy occasions.
..."rueful sorrow" Yes it's an intriguing observation. My thoughts were more about life being about to change and reflection on how something's lost when something's gained.
This dialogue is brilliant. Renzo gradually drags the truth out of her by seizing on subtle clues she's being evasive.
“'Me? What makes you think that I would know my master’s secrets?' 'I knew there was something fishy about this,' thought Renzo. And to bring that something something to light, he went on. 'Come now, Perpetua, we’re old friends. Tell me what you know. Give a boy a hand.' 'It’s a terrible thing to be born poor, my dear Renzo.' 'True,' he continued, feeling more confirmed in his suspicions."
This novel has been called operatic. I can imagine this back and forth between Renzo and the buffo Perpetua in song and music on the stage.
"The troublemakers, the tyrants, all those who wrong others in any way, are guilty not only of the wrongs they do but also of the way they pervert the minds of their victims." Truer words...
The first sighting of Renzo: “As soon as the hour seemed right to appear before the priest without being too intrusive, he went, with the joyful exuberance of a twenty-year-old man who on that day is going to marry the girl loves.”. I cried when I read this, knowing what is to come. “Joyful” - just one word, and it undid me.
Renzo is an “easygoing youth averse to bloodshed, a pure-hearted boy who hated all intrigues.” And Lucia in her wedding finery “all dressed up by her mother’s hands,” are menaced on their wedding day by the evil Don Rodrigo who lives behind a fortress. Perfect soap opera/telenovela set-up with a whole set of supporting characters. And we get to see it unfold one episode at a time ❤️
I feel/fear my reflection today is but a pale one next to the text (and the wonderful images!) proper. Hard to do the interactions, which are so effervescent, even evanescent, justice. The characters speed through their loves, their lives so quickly, and I wish they might just slow down and heed their own advice, patience. It's so hard, though, when someone else tells you to be patient. It's like a state of mind that one has to be in the right state of mind to be in...but I did like the nice moment of collusion over the lie that the Don is sick. Wonderful chapter to read, next to the inevitable comparison, Don Quixote chapter on the collusion between the servant and the the Quixote over sorting which books to keep and discard.
I’m still waiting to see what happens - yet all of the initial non-bravi characters seem like innocent victims. What was the priest supposed to do? But also, what was Renzo supposed to do after hearing that weak excuse? And, then the bride - trying to save face after massive disappointment. I’m quite baffled as to the alternative options available at this stage…
Despite their powerlessness, these peasants are very resourceful.
Perpetua did suggest an alternative to Abbondio, that is to tell the archbishop, who could have given his support to him. But Abbondio was too afraid to do anything other than think of how to save his skin with the least trouble. Sorry I'm so late, I just started!
Wonderful chapter sets us up for all that follows, with characters that seem impossible not to love. The description of the bride, dressed in her finery was so beautiful, especially the placid, rueful sorrow on her face that brides have. Reminds me of new mother's faces, the knowledge that appears in their (our) faces. We know miraculous, sorrowful, joyous things we did not know the day before. Perhaps the bride's face foreshadows the mothers.
trying to gauge how tough renzo is (both now, versus back in the early 17th century). he says to the priest marry us in one week or else, then locks him in and demands to know who's behind the delay. seems as tough as the bravi, but -- he's in love.
I’m struck by Manzoni’s depictions of emotions—reminds me of my reading of Persuasion for a class on Literature & Philosophy of Emotions & how Austen seamlessly transitions from one emotion to the next, or shows how complicated a single emotion can be.
From today’s reading:
“He remembered God, the Blessed Mother, and the saints, and he thought back to the consolation he had felt so many times at being untainted by crime, at his horror whenever he heard talk of murder. And he roused himself from that dream of bloodshed with feelings of shock and remorse, together with a sense of relief that all he had done was imagine it.”
Reminiscent of waking up after a dream.
love these illustrations. why doesn't the modern library version have them???
I dream of finding a rich sponsor to finance the publication of a deluxe edition!
how very italian of you! where is a medici when you need one.