Abstract

The author reviews Santi di Bella, Leopold von Ranke. Gli anni della formazione, Rubettino, Soveria Mannelli, 2005, focusing on the influence exerted on Ranke, according to Di Bella, by August Heinrich Ritter, who was the channel through which the great historian received significant critical suggestions from Schleiermacher. While subscribing this thesis, Tessitore observes that the real problems is to evaluate the exact role played in the formation of Ranke’s theory by two authors, W. v. Humboldt e F. D. Schleiermacher, whose presence in Ranke is never explicit, constituting nevertheless the very backbone of his thought