Abstract

The year 2021 marked the bicentennial of Napoleon’s death. This paper presents a reflection on the books published on the event within Italian historiography as well as a number of scholarly initiatives. The analysis aims to advance this discussion both by examining the continuities and discontinuities in historiographical trends and by outlining the cultural and political context of the commemoration of the Napoleonic Age. To grasp the particular features of the Italian context, the paper also considers the French historiographical and political debates, which have engendered many tensions and involved institutions at the highest levels. The bicentennial of Napoleon’s death offered a valuable opportunity to critically discuss Napoleonic historiography and the contribution of historians to the public debate over the legacies of the past