What an MCP server is (and how to use it for the law)
An MCP server exposes tools (functions) that an AI assistant can call to read real sources instead of making them up. It is the standard way to give a model access to data and actions.
1. The Model Context Protocol
MCP is the open standard that connects an AI client (Claude Desktop, Cursor…) to “servers” offering tools, resources and prompts.
2. What an MCP server does
It declares a list of functions with their parameters; when the AI invokes them, the server executes (e.g. it looks up a law) and returns structured, citable data.
3. Open·Parlamento’s MCP servers
republic-mcp (npm) for the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate and OpenPolis; open-parlamento-mcp (PyPI) for law, EU law, case law, statistics and open data. Both open source (MIT).
4. Connecting them
Add the servers to the client configuration (mcpServers): npx -y republic-mcp; pip install open-parlamento-mcp and the open-parlamento-mcp command.
Details, snippets and a table of tools are on the MCP server page (Italiano).
Frequently asked questions
Are Open·Parlamento’s MCP servers free and open source?
Yes: MIT code on GitHub, packages on npm and PyPI, data from public and open sources.
Which clients do they work with?
With any client compatible with the Model Context Protocol, such as Claude Desktop and Cursor.
Other guides
- How an Italian bill becomes law
- Decreto-legge and decreto legislativo: the differences
- How to cite a law with the ELI
- The hierarchy of the sources of Italian law
- What Normattiva is
- What the Gazzetta Ufficiale is
- How the Italian Constitutional Court works
- Glossary — ELI, CELEX, MCP server, legislative OSINT
Informational tool — not legal advice.