La lotta politica in Italia, Volume 2 (of 3) Origini della lotta attuale (476-1887); Quinta edizione

The volume opens by tracing the deep roots of Italy’s modern political turbulence, reaching back to the late medieval era and culminating in the ferment of the early nineteenth century. It shows how the revolutionary fever that swept France after 1789 quickly spread across Europe, inspiring Italians to envision a nation governed by popular sovereignty rather than distant monarchs. By situating the 1821 uprisings within the broader currents of liberalism, the book explains how ideas of citizenship, constitutional rights and economic modernisation began to challenge the old order.

In the first chapters the author examines the 1821 movements in Naples, Piedmont and beyond, highlighting the influence of the Holy Alliance’s reactionary policies and the growing discontent among the educated elite. The narrative follows the emergence of early political societies, the clash between reformist aspirations and absolutist repression, and the way newspapers and university lectures turned Italy into a laboratory for revolutionary thought.

Interwoven with these events are the intellectual debates that shaped the era—figures such as Rosmini, Gioberti and the early members of the “Giovine Italia” movement are introduced, illustrating how philosophy and literature became engines of political change. The volume offers a vivid portrait of a continent in transition and the Italian struggle to translate Enlightenment ideals into a concrete national project.