The difference between the regions of northern and southern Italy has always been the subject of debate and scholarly reflection. The focus of this monographic issue, within the context of PRIN 2017 "Education and development in southern Italy (1861-1914)", aims to update the historiographical discussion on key aspects of the evolution of education and training in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and to study the problems that the “Mezzogiorno” faced especially with regard to the formation of human capital.