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Republicanism enjoyed renewed favour in the 20th century, especially in english-speaking political thought: Thanks to a considerable wealth of research, the notion of republic has been put under close scrutiny, both historically and theoretically. This article aims at reconstructing the genealogy of this reflection, through the examination of the different readings that have been proposed for a writer rediscovered by this new tradition of thought: chancellor-humanist Leonardo Bruni (1370-1444). Since the pioneer works of Hans Baron (1900-1988), the interpretation of Bruni has constituted one of the main focal points of neo-republican thought; one purpose of this study is thus to highlight the epistemological, historiographical and political questions at stake in the interpretation of Bruni, and consequently in the elaboration of the republican attempt at reconceptualizing politics.