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Papal States

Catholic state in Italy (756–1870) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Papal States (/ˈppəl/ PAY-pəl; Italian: Stato Pontificio; Latin: Dicio Pontificia), officially the State of the Church (Italian: Stato della Chiesa [ˈstaːto della ˈkjɛːza]; Latin: Status Ecclesiasticus),[7] were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 until 1870.[8] They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th century until the unification of Italy, between 1859 and 1870.

Quick facts: State of the ChurchPatrimonio di San Pietro/S...
State of the Church
Patrimonio di San Pietro/Stato Pontificio (Italian)
Patrimonium Sancti Petri/Status Ecclesiasticus (Latin)
754–1870[1][2][3]
Interregna (1798–1799, 1809–1814 and 1849–1850)
Anthem: 
Papal Shield
Papal_Arms_shield.svg
The Papal States in 1815 after the Napoleonic Wars
The Papal States in 1815 after the Napoleonic Wars
Map of the Papal States (green) in 1789 before the French seized papal lands in France, including its exclaves of Benevento and Pontecorvo in southern Italy, and the Comtat Venaissin and Avignon in southern France
Map of the Papal States (green) in 1789 before the French seized papal lands in France, including its exclaves of Benevento and Pontecorvo in southern Italy, and the Comtat Venaissin and Avignon in southern France
CapitalRome
41°54′00″N 12°29′15″E
Common languagesLatin, Italian, Occitan
Religion
Roman Catholicism (state religion)
GovernmentFeudal theocratic elective absolute monarchy
(756–1798; 1800–1809)
Unitary theocratic elective absolute monarchy
(1814–1848; 1850–1870)
Unitary theocratic elective semi-constitutional monarchy
(1848)
Pope 
 756–757 (first)
Stephen II
 1846–1870 (last)
Pius IX
Cardinal Secretary of State 
 1551–1555 (first)
Girolamo Dandini
 1848–1870 (last)
Giacomo Antonelli
Prime Minister 
 1847–1848 (first)
Gabriele Ferretti
 1848–1849 (last)
C. E. Muzzarelli
LegislatureParliament (1848)
History 
754
781
 Treaty of Venice (independence from the Holy Roman Empire)
1177
 Publication of the Constitutiones Aegidianae
1357
18 February 1798
17 May 1809
20 September 1870
11 February 1929
Population
 1853[6]
3,124,668
Currency
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Byzantine_Calvary_cross_potent_%28transparent%29.png Byzantine Empire under the Isaurian dynasty
Republic of Cospaia Flag_of_Cospaia.svg
Duchy of Parma and Piacenza Flag_of_the_Duchy_of_Parma.svg
Tiberina Republic Flag_of_France.svg
Roman Republic (1798–1799) Flag_of_the_Repubblica_Romana_%281798%29.svg
First French Empire Flag_of_France.svg
Principality of Pontecorvo Flag_of_France.svg
Roman Republic (1849–1850) Flag_of_the_Roman_Republic_%2819th_century%29.svg
Kingdom of Italy Flag_of_Italy_%281861-1946%29_crowned.svg
Prisoner in the Vatican Flag_of_the_Papal_States_%281808-1870%29.svg
Vatican City Flag_of_the_Vatican_City_%282023%E2%80%93present%29.svg
Today part of
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The state had its origins in the rise of Christianity throughout Italy, and with it the rising influence of the Christian Church. By the mid-8th century, with the decline of the Byzantine Empire in Italy, the Papacy became effectively sovereign. Several Christian rulers, including the Frankish kings Charlemagne and Pepin the Short, further donated lands to be governed by the Church.[9] During the Renaissance, the papal territory expanded greatly and the pope became one of Italy's most important secular rulers as well as the head of the Church. At their zenith, the Papal States covered most of the modern Italian regions of Lazio (which includes Rome), Marche, Umbria and Romagna, and portions of Emilia. These holdings were considered to be a manifestation of the temporal power of the pope, as opposed to his ecclesiastical primacy.

By 1861, much of the Papal States' territory had been conquered by the Kingdom of Italy. Only Lazio, including Rome, remained under the pope's temporal control. In 1870, the pope lost Lazio and Rome and had no physical territory at all, except the Leonine City of Rome, which the new Italian state did not occupy militarily, despite annexation of Lazio. In 1929, the Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini, the head of the Italian government, ended the "Prisoner in the Vatican" problem involving a unified Italy and the Holy See by negotiating the Lateran Treaty, signed by the two parties. This treaty recognized the sovereignty of the Holy See over a newly created international territorial entity, a city-state within Rome limited to a token territory which became the Vatican City.

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