The Italian writer Edmondo De Amicis was a fond admirer of France (which helped Italy to become an independent nation) and supported its struggle against Prussia during the war of 1870-71. This predilection was confirmed by several writings, even when the establishment of a French protectorate in Tunisia in 1881 triggered the Italian public opinion against France. Analyzing the correspondence between De Amicis and the French writer Edmond Cottinet, this essay highlights the negative influence exerted by the press on the public opinion in the two countries. At the same time, the letters show how the two writers, despite this nationalist wave and their particular point of view, tried to find the path of reason and tolerance.
