Alla riscoperta de I promessi sposi - Livello C2

Due to its length, it is not possible to include the full translation of the episode here. Below, I present a glossary of the main historical terms mentioned in the podcast. Glossary of the main historical terms in I promessi sposi by Alessandro ManzoniGrida: Not shouts (as in the modern sense), but laws or decrees issued by the Spanish authorities, which were often ignored and ineffective.Untori: People unjustly accused of spreading the plague by smearing walls and doors with infected substances.Monatti: Those assigned to transport plague victims and bury them. They were often violent and unscrupulous figures who took advantage of the situation to loot homes, but were also capable of acts of Christian compassion, as in the episode of Cecilia’s mother—a testament to the fact that the divine flame burns in every human being and it's up to us to keep it alive.Lazzaretto: A quarantine and treatment center for plague victims.Lanzichenecchi: From the German term Landsknecht ("servant of the land"), referring to German infantry mercenaries notorious for their brutality. In the novel, they are portrayed as a scourge descending on Lombardy. Their passage, marked by looting, violence, and destruction, was also the vehicle that brought the plague into Italy—a historically crucial event in the narrative.Bottega: Not just a shop, but more broadly the workshop of an artisan.Sbirro: Today, it's a pejorative term for a police officer, but in the time of the novel it referred to a policeman, gendarme, or justice officer. They were often in the pay of the powerful and did not have a good reputation.Console: Not the diplomatic figure of today, but a local authority, often a police or minor magistrate.Podestà: A high official or magistrate, usually with political and judicial powers, who presided over a city or district.