IMT Paper 1/2026

The article offers a long-term reflection on nearly eighty years of Republican Italy, interpreted as a layered historical legacy of institutions, social practices, and collective achievements. Moving beyond an event-centred narrative, it emphasises continuity alongside change, highlighting the persistence of institutional frameworks inherited from the pre-republican period and their progressive adaptation. The essay documents significant social and economic advances—particularly in welfare, education, healthcare, and life expectancy—framed within the constitutional project of substantive equality and decommodification. At the same time, it underscores persistent tensions, including political instability, party fragmentation, social unrest, and the erosion of traditional intermediaries of public opinion. In its concluding remarks, the article reflects on the role of universities and intellectuals, advocating interdisciplinary approaches and a renewed educational mission oriented toward critical inquiry and future-oriented change.