Abstract

The debate on freedom of teaching in Italian universities became particularly intense in the years immediately preceding and following the Unity of the Country, characterized also by a marked dispute between centralizing and autonomist tendencies. the essay examines the reform proposals attested by parliamentary debates, with particular attention to the contribution made by the Sicilian deputy Michele amari. according to the analysis, it is clear that the failure of "Matteucci law" in the Sicilian universities can be mainly attributed to a noticeable reaction against it by both professors engaged in the universities and the local "élites".