Administrative History in Italy. Notes for the Story of a Discipline

This chapter explores the evolution of public administration historiography. Initially treated as a subordinate topic within legal studies, administrative history gained autonomy in the 1960s, driven by interest in the institutional mechanisms of modernization. The discipline flourished in the final decades of the 20th century, marked by the emergence of specialized journals, institutions, and growing international collaboration—especially among Italian scholars. Recent developments reflect an interdisciplinary turn and a shift toward unconventional themes. The chapter concludes by examining how historiographical narratives intersect with political agendas, particularly in debates on regionalization and centralization in postwar Italy.