Dear Therese,

reading your posts I realize you are very interested in religious spirituality and you like novels featuring that component.

I am sure you would love Alessandro Manzoni's "The Betrothed" (I Promessi Sposi) a novel which, together with Dante's "Divine Comedy", belongs to the cream of the crop of Italy's (my country) literary production.

Description:
Set in Lombardy in the years 1628-30, The Betrothed tells the dramatic tale of two young lovers in a time of war, famine, and plague. Following them through exile and suffering, it displays great richness of characterization and a profound insight into the workings of history and the politics of the time. First published in 1827 as I promessi sposi, The Betrothed is the first modern Italian novel.

More about the novel:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Betrothed

Manzoni's bio:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessandro_Manzoni

The novel is available from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014044 ... F8&s=books

Therese, you will LOVE it!

Sounds very interesting. Thanks, York, I will try to get a copy and let you know what I think.

Dear Therese, I do not know how much you know about Gustav III and his life. I think it is however interesting that in his biography of Gustav Armfelt (1997), the writer Stig Ramel suggests that king Gustav was like a lutheran mystic and interested in catholism also and liked much
Pope Pius VI (with that terrible fate later..)and had many discussions and agreements with him. In fact the king was so favourable to the catholism that back home in Sweden he was having troubles after changing the law's of religion to be more tolerant. The Pope also gave his blessings to Gustav III and Josef II together in 1784 in the Church of St.Peter in Vatican.

Oh, Aurora, this is so interesting!!! I did not know!! This is the Gustavus who was killed at the masked ball? He was friends with both Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, too, I believe. Thank you!!!

Yes, the same king who visited Versailles. And one of the historic persons who has suffered also from many misjudgements and misunderstandings through centuries. If only I could have all my the time studying and researching, he is definately also so interesting individual among the kings. And so sadly too much seen like some clown or something like that.

Yes, I always wondered why Gustav was so dedicated to helping Louis and Antoinette but this explains a lot.

And Antoinette was, I think, a god-mother to his son, who unfortunately died at early age. Gustav wrote compassioning letter to Louis and Antoinette when they lost child.

I know very few about this king, Aurora, but isn't he comparable to Ludwig II of Bavaria ? I think both were sensitive, delicate, very spiritual and inspired. They both built wonderful places and were fascinated by arts and theatre.

However, Françoise Kermina says that Marie-Antoinette did not get along with him. Do you think she is right ?

This is fascinating!! I did not know that M-A was Gustav's son's godmother!!!

I just realized that this thread is dedicated to reading suggestions pour moi!! Wonderful!!!!

I have read where M-A was very fond of Gustav but she had reservations about some of his eccentricities.

Well frankly, I think Gustav is internationally always portrayed together with opinions about Fersen..like Gustav and Antoinette had a contest of Fersen's attention and love...maybe the twisted politics with Sweden against Russia with or without or against Prussia have affected later, but most of the time at least Gustav wanted Sweden together with France.

The first thing that a visitor see still today in his palace near Stockholm, the Drottningholm castle, is a life-sized portrait of Louis XVI. And there were some thoughts that maybe little Marie-Sophie-Hélène-Beatrice would have been in the future married to his son (at least in Sweden). The surviving son from two is king Gustav IV Adolf, who did everything he could to make his father's achievements gone and was very puritan.

You are right Pimprenelle, Gustav was like a professional theatre director, writing and directing plays and poetry, designing clothes and settings and always rehearsing seriously, and those poor courtiers were somewhat tired of that..In Drottningholm there is also a charming wooden theatre of Gustav, not so superb than Antoinette's but little less decorated. It is still working in summer festival with baroque operas and concerts. He had there also a Chinese pavillion built.

And Gustav was having a special buste-statue from France, that of Madame de Brionne in his bedroom. Some said they were having an affair, he certainly didn't have the picture of his wife Sofia Magdalena there. She was a danish princess, an unhappy, poor woman,very critisized by her mother-in-law and not-loved by her husband,the king. So as you see my dear friends, there is so much things there that broadens this image of a homosexual, stupid, weak ruler. Gustav was not in favour with the eyes of many powerful noble families, because when he became a king he did "a revolution without blood"as it is called, that reduced considerably the priviledges of the nobles. and the league of the noblemen was behind his brutal murder, some of them had been in Paris to learn revolutionnary ideas and then formed secret clubs, like the most famous called Illuminatii club.

Oh, do you think the Illuminati killed him, Aurora?

These noblemen were not alone nor were they all gone after the murder, in fact the name Illuminatii was perhaps taken after the murder. Jacob Johan Anckarström was shooting the king to the back saying those legendary words:"Bonjour beau masque", so he was condemned and executed. The other names Anckarström gave when questioning were noblemen Carl Pechlin, Claes Horn and Adolf Ribbing, but this was a top of the iceberg, there were many clubs and the police stopped the examination of the murder surprisingly quickly.
By the way the king didn't die at once. He survived several days.

Thank you, Aurore ! This is fascinating ! You really make me feel like finding more about Gustavus III ! But I always had a personal likeness to him. I am deeply fascinated by these kings-actors, by those people who are able to make themselves brilliant characters.

I searched on google, and they gave me this bust. Never saw it...

This pavillion is in the Haga, they say...

This portrait is more familiar to me !

Thank you for the beautiful pictures. Tha Haga pavillion is in the Stockholm. Chinese pavilion is in Swedish Kina slott and in Drottningholm park, well I learned that it was already built by king Adolf Fredrik, sorry about that. A little earlier than Gustav's reign, but I do remember he did also something, maybe decorated inside or like that. And within the main royal palace in the old town of Stockholm there are nice rooms called Gustav III:s Museum of Antique. He put there all his antique souvenirs from Italy etc. http://www.royalcourt.se

And thank you ladies Therese and Pimprenelle, for your kindness. My humble knowledge is like a melody line comparing to the full composition or a sketch comparing to a big painting of your shared knowledge.

All together, we'll make a symphony, Aurora !