The article aims to analyse in-depth the local autonomy concept from the historical perspective. This study would offer a large view on the local autonomy principle roots and meanings of the past realities. It helps to understand better the need of the local autonomy within public administration reforms process. The views of the great thinkers of the ancient age and of Enlightenment and the Renaissance era are analysed. Certainly with the evolution of the world, and especially of public administration science, the principle of local autonomy has gained new meanings and has found its application in different ways. But we must emphasize the importance of the first ideas of local autonomy mentioned by the philosophers of the ancient times.