I promessi sposi: an Italian book for intermediate learners (B2)
Alessandro Manzoni · adapted by Alessio Insegnante · CEFR level B2
Alessandro Manzoni's classic (1840), rewritten for learners of Italian at level B2: calibrated sentences, footnotes, a final glossary and comprehension questions in every chapter.
Ebook free with Kindle Unlimited · $4.99 · also in 6×9 paperback
The plot of I promessi sposi
Lombardy, 1628. Renzo and Lucia are about to marry, but the bullying don Rodrigo prevents it on a whim, and the timid don Abbondio refuses to celebrate the wedding. So begins a long separation that will carry the betrothed couple through riots, convents and flights.
In the background, Milan in famine and plague, the Unnamed and his conversion, Father Cristoforo and the justice of the powerful. The founding novel of modern Italian literature, here in an accessible version that keeps its greatness intact.
Why read I promessi sposi to learn Italian
This is the novel every Italian read at school: knowing it means sharing a piece of common culture and understanding countless everyday quotations. Indirect speech and complex sentences come in controlled doses, true B2 material.
Inside this reader
CEFR adaptation
The text is fully rewritten for level B2, with controlled vocabulary and syntax, while staying faithful to the original plot.
Footnotes and glossary
Footnotes on difficult words and a final glossary, so you can read independently without a dictionary.
Comprehension questions
Every chapter ends with questions to check understanding, just like in class.
Paperback and ebook
6×9 paperback on cream paper, or Kindle ebook. The same text also lives in the ti app.
Language focus: what you practise
In this level-B2 edition you mainly practise the imperfect and past subjunctive, hypothetical clauses of possibility, the passive and indirect speech. The vocabulary revolves around history, religion and society: the key words, with translations, are in the glossary below and recur throughout the text, so you learn them in context.
Essential glossary (Italian · English · Dutch)
| Italian | English | Dutch |
|---|---|---|
| il matrimonio | wedding | het huwelijk |
| la peste | plague | de pest |
| il curato | parish priest | de pastoor |
| il convento | convent | het klooster |
| la carestia | famine | de hongersnood |
| il prepotente | bully | de tiran |
| la conversione | conversion | de bekering |
| la provvidenza | providence | de voorzienigheid |
About the author: Alessandro Manzoni
Alessandro Manzoni (1785–1873) devoted his life to a single great novel, rewriting it for twenty years and modelling its language on living Florentine speech. I promessi sposi shaped modern Italian itself.
Details and difficulty level
B2 is upper-intermediate Italian: complex syntax, subjunctive and conditional structures, shades of register. This reader suits learners who already read in Italian and want to tackle the great classics with structured support. Format: 6×9 paperback on cream paper or Kindle ebook; 20 chapters with footnotes, a final glossary and comprehension questions. All level B2 books →
Frequently asked questions
What level of Italian do I need to read I promessi sposi?
This edition of I promessi sposi is rewritten for CEFR level B2. B2 is upper-intermediate Italian: complex syntax, subjunctive and conditional structures, shades of register. This reader suits learners who already read in Italian and want to tackle the great classics with structured support.
Is this Alessandro Manzoni's original text?
No, it is an adaptation: the plot and spirit of Alessandro Manzoni's original remain, but vocabulary and syntax are rewritten for level B2, with footnotes, a final glossary and comprehension questions at the end of every chapter.
Which formats is it available in?
Paperback (6×9, cream paper) and Kindle ebook on Amazon. The ebook is free to read with Kindle Unlimited. The same text also lives in the ti app, with vocabulary translated into 14 languages.
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