Bravi

Bravi (sing. bravo; sometimes translated as 'bravoes') were hired assassins who were commonly employed throughout Italy.^[1] The word initially had no negative meaning and was applied to retainers in noble houses, or to soldiers.^[2] Their fame, and their reputation as frightening and domineering criminals, rests in part on their striking presence in Alessandro Manzoni's historical novel The Betrothed (1827), which opens with an extended description of the phenomenon.^[3]

A black and white drawing of a man walking on a stone pathway, with two other men idle on the path's sides — The priest don Abbondio sees at once that the thugs waiting for him are *bravi*. A scene from the opening of Manzoni’s *I promessi sposi*.

References

↑ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bravo" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
↑ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bravo" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
↑ Manzoni, Alessandro (13 September 2022). The Betrothed: A Novel. Random House Publishing. ISBN 978-0-679-64356-2.

This Italian history article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

[1] Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bravo" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

[2] Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bravo" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

[3] Manzoni, Alessandro (13 September 2022). The Betrothed: A Novel. Random House Publishing. ISBN 978-0-679-64356-2.

[1]

[2]

[3]