ABSTRACT
Since 1990, the year of publication of both Il fuoco greco and La chimera, the greatest innovations in the historical novel have taken place in explorations of the fictionality of the real world. With regard to the microhistorical strand of anti-illusionist narration both in historiography and historical fiction, the dynamism and energy which characterised the early phase of the movement now seems to be somewhat on the wane. The fact that the centrality of the philosophy of history is also shared by historiography determines that the study of the relationship between the historical novel and historiographical developments is invaluable for a better understanding of the evolution of the genre. By no means are the relations of influence unidirectional; while recent historical novelists have gained new material and an ever broader scope by engaging with current historiographical debates, historiography has benefited greatly from exploring a variety of modes of fictional representation.
