The Italian

Ann Radcliffe introduces Schedoni, the villainous scheming monk, whose brooding presence dominates her novel, and who has become archetypal in Romantic literature. The Italian tells of the romance between the young Neapolitan nobleman Vincentio di Vivaldi and Ellena di Rosalba, a match opposed by the Marchesa, Vivaldi's haughty, manipulative mother. It is she who enlists the help of Schedoni. What ensues is intrigue, abduction and the terrors of the Inquisition. This edition includes a detailed introduction which examines the literary background to the novel, the historical context of the Inquisition and the French Revolution, and explanatory notes.