Abstract

This paper analyzes the ways in which the biggest Italian electric company of the fifties, Edison, established itself in the chemical production and what the consequences of this move were for the chemical industry as a whole. The enquiry focuses on the years 1946-65 and in particular on Edison’s industrial action in the chemicals field, looking at the three areas where it operated: Porto Marghera (Venice), Mantua, Priolo (Syracuse). The documental evidence seems to suggest that historiography has more often than not underestimated Edison’s contribution. Consequently, the general narrative of Italy’s chemical industry in those years appears to be biased and in need of correction.