n the course of his long life Alessandro Manzoni lived in many different properties, but the only house that may truly be considered his own is the one located in Via Morone 1, Milan
After his marriage to Enrichetta Blondel, and the birth of Giulietta, in 1810 the Manzoni family found a temporary home in Via San Vito al Carobbio no. 3883, and then in the Palazzo Beccaria in Via Brera: here, where Giulia had been born, the second son Pietro was born on 21 July 1813.
With the desire for a stable home in Milan and a large family, Alessandro decided to buy a palace in contrada del Morone on the corner with piazza Belgioioso. The palazzo, owned by Don Alberico de Felber, was purchased on 2 October 1813 for 107,000 lire.
Among the winning reasons for the choice of the De Felber house was its location in the centre of the city, a centrality that made it possible to combine the needs of the scholar with the need to see his friends.
Many works were carried out over the years, the house took shape for the needs of a family of 12 members with their servants.
Manzoni, in this palace full of rooms, had one reserved overlooking the garden, to meditate, write and receive his illustrious guests and close friends.
With the death of Enrichetta in 1833 and the premature death of Giulietta, when he was only 26 years old, Manzoni entered a dark, gloomy period from which he struggled to emerge and his mind became inactive.
It was only after his marriage to Teresa Borri Stampa in 1837 that some happiness returned, which unfortunately did not last long due to the death of their twins. One was stillborn, the other followed a few hours later.
Only two of his children survived them, and in that place where Manzoni loved to meet people, he now only awaited death, which arrived on 22 May 1873.
The house was put up for sale by the heirs and was bought by Count Bernardo Arnaboldi Gazzaniga, who, respectful of Manzoni’s memories, allowed the studio and bedroom to be visited on the anniversary of the ‘Illustre Defunto’.
In 1919 the house passed to Attilio Villa and in 1922 to the Dubini brothers.
In 1937, it became the property of the Cassa di Risparmio delle Provincie Lombarde, which donated it to the Municipality of Milan on condition that it was destined for perpetual and exclusive use by the Centro Nazionale Studi Manzoniani.
On 20 March 1941, the building was passed from the Centre to the City of Milan. However, the Centre found the house partly altered by successive ownerships, which had changed the distribution and destination of the rooms.
Under the guidance of the then conservator Marino Parenti, restoration work was begun to restore the house to the condition it was in when Manzoni died.
The restoration work was interrupted due to the Second World War; it was resumed and completed in the 1960s and on 15 December 1965, the Manzoni Museum was inaugurated.
Fifty years later, a new renovation has been completed thanks to the support of Intesa Sanpaolo, with the intention not only to offer visitors a wider exhibition itinerary, but also to make Casa Manzoni an even more lively cultural centre open to scholars and the entire citizenry.
