Ann Radcliffe’s The Italian, or the Confessional of the Black Penitents (1797) is set in 1764, in Italy .
It is the story of a young nobleman from Naples , Vincentio di Vivaldi, who falls in love with a beautiful girl Ellena Rosalba against his mother’s will (=volere). The Marchesa, Vincentio’s mother, plots (=complotta) with the mysterious monk (= monaco ) Schedoni to kidnap (=rapier) the girl: the couple is arrested and separated before the nuptial ceremony is completed. While Schedoni attempts (= cerca) to kill Ellena, he discovers that she is his own daughter and hides her in a safe (= sicuro) place. Then he saves Vincentio, that is accused by the Inquisition.
After other complex events, Ellena is revealed to be Schedoni’s niece (= nipote femmina di zio) whose real father, Schedoni’s brother, is dead. The last twist (= colpo di scena) reveals that Schedoni is of noble origins, therefore (= perciò) Ellena can marry Vincentio. The novel ends with a happy marriage between the two, whereas (= mentre) the Marchesa, Schedoni, and other villains (= cattivi) who helped them, die.

The sombre (=grave) and gloomy (= oscura) atmosphere, the mystery that pervade every moment of the novel are typical of Radcliff’s way of writing. Her favourite issues (= tematiche) are love, devotion and persecution, all of them considered from a religious and nationalistic point of view.
The setting is described in detail, with natural illustration that underline the psychological and emotional portrayal of the characters.