This article examines how the historians have read and interpreted the different phases of the dialogue between Christian Democrats and Communists. The author suggests three main phases in which the relationship between Christian Democrats and Communists has been crucial - though in different ways - for both the DC’s and the PCI’s overall political strategy. The first phase refers to the anti-Fascist coalition and its difficult cooperation both within the Constituent Assembly and the government. The second phase refers to the so-called "strategy of attention" towards the Communist party promoted by Aldo Moro in the late 1960s. The third period, finally, regards the "National solidarity" years, which were the result of two different strategies: the "historic compromise" elaborated by Enrico Berlinguer and the "third phase" proposed by Moro.
Keywords: Historiography, Communist Party, Christian Democratic Party, political dialogue, Italian Republic, National solidarity