La società milanese nell'età rivoluzionaria: resistenze e mutamenti

The republics established in Italy by the French army during the Triennio 1796-1799 were very weak and incapable of introducing durable transformations in the institutions or in society; these came about only later, during the Napoleonic age. As a result, the salient phenomenon of the triennio was the explosion of many popular revolts against the French and the republican authorities. The dramatic events of 1799 – the «black year» – exposed the rift between the patriots, who fought for a united and independent Italian republic, and the masses, hostile not only to French military occupation but also to the national program. Classical historiography of the period has generally centered its research on the Sister Republics and on the emergence of Italian patriotism, which touches upon the question of the origins of the Risorgimento. In the last years, several publications have polemicized with this historiographic trend and have revalued the popular revolts, considered as the expression of a national sentiment. Above all, these studies result in ideological polemics, but they have not contributed to the progress of historical knowledge. This paper attempts to outline some research perspectives in view of drawing a comprehensive picture, covering all the different political, ideological, and intellectual forces operating in Italy during the short republican period and the transition to the Napoleonic age. The conclusion is dedicated to the right to petition, considered by some patriots along the lines of the French revolution as an important instrument of revolutionary action and a precious opportunity to bond the masses to the democratic republics.