The Betrothed (Italian: I promessi sposi, pronounced [i proˈmessi ˈspɔːzi]) is an Italian historical novel by Alessandro Manzoni. The novel was first published in three volumes in 1827; it was significantly revised and rewritten until the definitive version was published between 1840 and 1842. It has been called the most famous and widely read novel in the Italian language.
Set in the Duchy of Milan in 1628, during the years of Spanish rule, the novel is also noted for its extraordinary description of the plague that struck Milan around 1630.
