Abstract

This essay studies the meaning of the concept of revolt/revolution in the historiographic work of Rosario Villari, as well as the analysis he carried out with regard to this phenomenon and the forms it adopted, taking into account the special interest he showed in the evolution of its stances and explanations through the years. Despite having the great revolt of Naples of 1647-1648 as the main focus of his research, in his different works, this specialist always tended to compare this episode to other rebellions occurring in the Early Modern period, taking a particular interest in the mutual influences shared by different European revolts. The development and changes of his approaches to this subject have a starting and final point respectively in the two versions of his seminal book focused on the conflict known as Masianello’s revolt, the first one being published in 1967 and the second in 2012.