From 12 October 2023, the exhibition "The historical and literary sources of the Betrothed" will be on display in the windows of rooms 2 and 3 of the Pinacoteca.

There is no need to remember how much the figure of Cardinal Federico Borromeo and his great Milanese Institution had an impact on the construction of the Novel. Precisely for this reason - on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Alessandro Manzoni's death - the Ambrosiana intended to contribute to the commemoration with this selected exhibition of rare volumes which, by the Author's explicit admission, provided historical material for the 'truthful' creation of The Betrothed. Most of these are texts that are not easy to find - some are even the only surviving examples - who provided Manzoni with the information for the plot of his story. Thus, also on this theme, the Ambrosiana Library manages to draw, from its inexhaustible book heritage, precious relics which can offer new sources of studies and interpretations on the figure of the most famous in our literature.