Portrait of Alessandro Manzoni by Francesco Hayez, 1841
Alessandro Francesco Tommaso Antonio Manzoni (7 March 1785 — 22 May 1873) was an Italian poet, novelist, and philosopher, best known for his novel The Betrothed. The novel contributed to the development of modern Italian and ensured linguistic unity throughout Italy. He was also a proponent of "Liberal Catholicism", a current of thought within the Catholic Church that is influenced by classical liberalism, seeking to reconcile the principles of the Christian faith with freedom as a primary value.
