Don Abbondio: chi era costui...?

The figure of don Abbondio, a notable character in Alessandro Manzoni’s Italian historical novel I promessi sposi (The Betrothed), epitomises a clergyman who lacks priestly spirit, cowardly and insecure in the society of the first half of the seventeenth century. Yet, Don Abbondio engaged in moneylending and monetary exchange, two significant social activities that involved considerable risk and danger. This paper examines Don Abbondio’s organisational profile as depicted in the three different drafts of Manzoni’s work. What emerges is the figure of a priest who is attentive and meticulous, but ultimately deficient in Christian charity. Additionally, the novel’s references to certain coins allow for an analysis of the weight systems used in various Italian mints during the historical period in which the novel is set.