The Betrothed: I Promessi Sposi

Renzo, Lucia, and Agnese cross Lake Como by dawn. There, a cart is waiting to take them to Milan. On the way, they will separate: Renzo will continue to Milan, and Agnese and Lucia will go to a convent. The women are taken by the Guardian Father to meet Gertrude, also known as the Signora, who is “a nun, but a nun unlike the others” (145). Gertrude was born to a wealthy family, but her father insisted that his first-born child would inherit everything, and his other children would be sent into the convent. From a young age, Gertrude was taught that she would grow up to be a nun. However, she realized that she did not want to be a nun. During the initiation process at the convent, each woman was permitted to spend time outside the convent to sincerely confirm that they wished to be nuns. Gertrude returned to her family home, only to be “strictly and completely cloistered” (158) until she was ready to offer her confirmation. During this confinement, she became romantically interested in one of the young male servants. The love affair was cut short when her father found out.

The boy was fired, and Gertrude was manipulated into becoming a nun. She lied to her interviewers, saying that she wished to be a nun to avoid further confinement and any potential scandal. Inside the convent, she acted differently to the other nuns, whom she “detested” (179). They nicknamed her the Signora, or the Lady, and she lived up to her haughty nickname. Later, she became romantically involved with a man named Egidio, “a criminal by trade” (181) and an associate of a notorious local baron known as the Nameless One. A fellow nun who discovered the relationship was killed by Gertrude and Egidio. In the present, Gertrude is intrigued by Lucia’s story, offering sanctuary to Lucia and Agnese.

The narrator returns to the previous evening, when Don Rodrigo learned of the failure of his bravi to kidnap Lucia. Numerous bravi were to wait in her house, as well as others who would scout the town for information. The latter were the men Renzo failed to notice in the tavern. Don Rodrigo admits to his cousin, Count Attilio, that his plan has failed. Attilio resolves to seek help from their powerful uncle. He blames Fra Cristoforo, with his “pussy-cat manners and foolish ideas” (188), for the escape of Renzo and Lucia. Griso speaks to people around the town, including Gervaso and Perpetua, and learns that Renzo and Lucia were heading to Monza; he sends his men to intercept them. Meanwhile, Renzo arrives in Milan, “filled with rage and the desire for revenge” (197) against Don Rodrigo. He discovers that, due to the famine, the city is in the throes of a revolt. He carefully looks for the monastery where Fra Cristoforo told him to seek refuge.

After years of bad harvests and “the ravages and waste of the war” (202), the famine in Milan is severe. As politicians, such as Antonio Ferrer, sought to deal with the issue by fixing the price of bread and forcing the bakers to bake, the people of the city have revolted and seized all the available produce. As Renzo walks, he sees the flour-strewn streets and finds loaves of bread on the ground: Bakeries were looted, and the utensils and tools of the bakers are burning in the city’s famous Piazza Duomo. They call out slogans such as “long live bread” (215). Making his way through the protestors, Renzo proceeds to Piazza Cordusio.

Renzo witnesses a riot outside the house of the Commissioner of Supply. As the crowd grows violent, Renzo steps in. He helps protect the hated man, and the crowd parts to welcome Ferrer, the Grand Chancellor of Milan. Ferrer says that the Commissioner will be taken to prison, which placates the rioters. Renzo is visible as a key member of the crowd. Ferrer remembers seeing Renzo’s name on a warrant, sent by Professor Argle-Bargle.

Renzo, now tired and hungry, searches for an inn. As he searches, however, he finds himself amid another crowd. He loudly declares that he will seek an audience with Ferrer the following day to resolve the bread riots. An undercover police officer seeking to arrest Renzo takes note of Renzo’s prominence. He offers to take Renzo to an inn, but he actually plans to take Renzo to jail. Renzo insists, however, that they stop at the nearest inn. There, Renzo drinks “a good bottle of honest wine” (237). He is not used to the alcohol, and he reveals his identity, which the undercover officer notes. Renzo speaks loudly and drunkenly, despite the landlord’s quiet efforts to shut him up. The other patrons mock the loud-mouthed Renzo.

When Renzo is too drunk, the landlord leads him to a room. The landlord immediately goes to a courthouse and sullenly reports all the necessary information. The following day, Renzo wakes up and is immediately arrested. As he is marched along the streets, he whips the crowd into an angry uproar. The chaos allows him an escape, as the police feel threatened by the “stampede” (264).