I Promessi Sposi is a classic novel by Italian author Alessandro Manzoni. First published in 1827, it tells the story of two young lovers, Renzo and Lucia, and their struggle to be together in the face of various obstacles, including the powerful and corrupt church and state authorities of the time. This novel is a powerful indictment of the injustices and abuses of power that were common in 19th century Italy, and it remains a classic of Italian literature. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.