Italy · 150th anniversary of the death of Alessandro Manzoni

Issue date15 May 2023

Total mintage3,000,000

EU maximum3,000,000

Editions4

Edge lettering2 ★ × 6, alternately upright/inverted

InscriptionRI / 1873-2023 / ALESSANDRO MANZONI / R / AV

DesignerAntonio Vecchio

mintInstituto Poligrafico e Zecca Dello Stato, Roma

Issue occasion

The coin commemorates the 150th anniversary of the death of the Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni. The design depicts him in half-profile, based on his portrait on the 100,000-lire banknote issued in 1967. The design is complemented by the years “1873–2023” and the inscription “ALESSANDRO MANZONI”.

The design

The coin features a half-profile portrait of Alessandro Manzoni, based on the depiction of the Italian writer on the 100 000-lire banknote issued in 1967. On the left is “RI”, the acronym for the Italian Republic; below it are the years “1873-2023” (1873 being the writer’s year of death and 2023 the year of issue of the coin), and arching along the inner rim of the coin is the inscription “ALESSANDRO MANZONI”. On the right, the letter “R”, the mint mark of the Rome Mint, and “AV”, the initials of the designer Antonio Vecchio, are struck.

The outer ring of the coin depicts the twelve stars of the European flag.

Background on the topic

Alessandro Manzoni was born in Milan in 1785 and worked as a lyric poet, dramatist, novelist and essayist. His life coincided with a period in which the Italian peninsula was politically fragmented and parts of northern Italy were initially under French and later under Austrian rule. Manzoni supported the national unification movement of the Risorgimento. After the foundation of the Kingdom of Italy, he was appointed senator.

His best-known work is the historical novel *I promessi sposi* (“The Betrothed”). It tells the story of Renzo and Lucia, whose planned marriage is prevented by a local ruler. The plot is set in 17th-century Lombardy against the backdrop of Spanish rule, social hardship, unrest and the Milan plague. The novel combines fictional characters with historical events and addresses, among other things, the abuse of power, law, responsibility and religious faith.

The work also acquired a special function in the history of the language. In Manzoni’s time, alongside the regional dialects, there was not yet an Italian standard language in general everyday use. Manzoni revised the novel based on contemporary Florentine. This version was disseminated through school education and contributed to the linguistic unification of the newly established state. In a later report, he explicitly addressed the question of a common language for Italy.

His other works include the tragedies *Il conte di Carmagnola* and *Adelchi*, as well as the ode *Il cinque maggio*, which refers to the death of Napoleon. His texts are shaped by his turn towards Catholicism, while also engaging with political power structures and historical change.

The choice of Manzoni as the coin’s motif therefore refers not only to a literary anniversary. It also points to his connection with Italian unification and to the role of his works in the development of a common written language of Italian.