Abstract

The essay focuses on the political and juridical scholarship of Luigi Palma on Central and Eastern European countries - in particular the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire - during the second half of the XIX century. Furthermore, by examining some writings of Palma, the essay discusses the dialectical tension between the principle of nationality on the one side and tangible national issues that arose in those areas on the other. The nation, the State and the law were the cornerstones of the internationalist thought of Palma, who has been a key figure in the history of Italian public law. He dedicated specific attention to the case of Bulgaria. Thanks to a thorough investigation of Bulgarian political events, Palma made a significant contribution to the late XIX century Italian cultural debate on diplomatic actions, juridical rules and the principle of nationality.