With respect to other mathematical communities in Europe, and United States, the Italian mathematical community founded its national society - the Unione matematica Italiana - rather late, in 1922. However, since 1884 in Italy a mathematical society, the Circolo matematico di Palermo, had been founded by G. B. Guccia. The Circolo quickly acquired an increasing national, and international relevance due above all to its journal, the Rendiconti.

In the talk I will discuss the raising (and contrasted) role of the Circolo in the Italian mathematical community up to WWI. In the post-war climate, the death of Guccia coupled with the rise of nationalism in science led to the crisis of the Circolo as an international society, and the need felt by V. Volterra of founding a truly national mathematical society , the Unione Matematica Italiana.