This essay focuses on the national inspirations conveyed by the Napoleonic wars. In particular, it delves deeply in the strategic role of Lord William Bentinck, the British plenipotentiary who arrived in Sicily to manage the parliamentary process of the political system of the island and the start of a constitutional regime. Through the analysis of the Journal and of the Minister's correspondence, it has been possible to reconstruct the controversial relationship between Bentinck and the Sicilian ruling classes, also analyzing both the failure of the British envoy's ambitions of conquest and his contribution to the development of national ideals and demands for independence, not only on the island but in the entire Mediterranean scenario.
Keywords: Sicily, Mediterranean Sea, Bentinck, Napoleonic era, nationalization.