Italy and / in Global History

This essay introduces the special issue dedicated to the state of the art and perspectives of global history as practiced in Italy (Italy and/in Global History). The volume is structured into two parts: the first examines theoretical and historiographical issues surrounding the categories of state, nation, and empire from a global perspective while deconstructing methodological nationalism ; the second applies these methodologies to the Italian Risorgimento, reframing it within the global age of revolutions through an Atlantic and Mediterranean lens. By focusing on the core theme of human mobility—such as exiles, volunteers, and state surveillance networks—the introduction emphasizes the role of Southern Europe and the Mediterranean as transnational political laboratories. Concluding, the text highlights the effectiveness of global history in reinterpreting historical processes traditionally restricted to purely national frameworks.