Seventeenth century Milan, dominated by the Spanish and torn apart by a terrible epidemic creates the basis for Renzo and Lucia’s love story. Alessandro Manzoni’s masterpiece has been shortened without losing the fascinating rhythm of the original work. At the end of each chapter, numerous activities offer readers the chance to test their comprehension of the text but also to reflect on a story in Italian. The cultural studies dossiers provide valuable information and facts about Milan in the past and the present.