Don Rodrigo’s Palace
The Villa of the man who blocked the marriage of Renzo and Lucia
It is at the Tabernacle of the Bravoes that the whole story of the novel The Betrothed begins.
AAlessandro Manzoni described the road that Don Abbondio travelled along on 7 November 1628 and it is possible to retrace with Don Abbondio the steps that led to the meeting with Don Rodrigo’s Bravoes.
WhWhile following the Manzonian itinerary in the Acquate district, also the location of the house traditionally associated with Lucia, visitors can relive the fateful meeting that takes place in the first chapter of The Betrothed. A plaque can be found at the reconstructed Tabernacle with a quotation from the novel:
“…returning home from his walk on the evening of the 7th of November of the year 1628, Don Abbondio… The curate turned towards the road and directing his gaze to the tabernacle as usual saw something he did not expect, and that he would not have wanted to see.”
A. Manzoni, The Betrothed
