The article attempts to assess and provide an initial interpretative framework for studies on maritime security in the Italian Republic. It seeks to underscore the transition from a national-centric maritime security model to an international/supranational model characteristic of postmodern states. This shift is a result of processes of transformation undergone by the Italian maritime world during the Cold War, driven by globalisation and integration in economic and military systems, such as the Cee/Eu and Nato.