Papal States

Quick Facts: Who was Papal States?

Subject:

Papal States

Known for:

The sovereign Italian state ruled by the Pope, existing from 756 until its annexation in 1870.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Papal States ( PAY-pəl), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major Italian states from the 8th century until the unification of Italy, which took place between 1859 and 1870, culminating in their incorporation into the Kingdom of Italy. The state was legally established in the 8th century when Pepin the Short, king of the Franks, gave Pope Stephen II, as a temporal sovereign, lands formerly held by Arian Christian Lombards, adding them to lands and other real estate formerly acquired and held by the bishops of Rome as landlords from the time of Constantine onward. This donation came about as part of a process whereby the popes began to turn away from the Byzantine emperors as their foremost temporal guardians for reasons such as increased imperial taxes, disagreement with respect to iconoclasm, and failure of the emperors (or their exarchs in Italy) to protect Rome and the rest of the peninsula from barbarian invasion and pillage. During the early modern period, the papal territory expanded greatly, and the pope became one of Italy's most important rulers as well as the head of Western Christianity.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

At their zenith, the Papal States covered most of the modern Italian regions of Lazio (which includes Rome), Marche, Umbria, Romagna, and portions of Emilia. The popes' reign over these lands was an exemplification of their temporal powers as secular rulers, as opposed to their ecclesiastical primacy. By 1860, much of the Papal States' territory had been conquered by the Kingdom of Sardinia and was incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, except Lazio, which remained under the pope's control. In 1870, all of Lazio, including Rome, was annexed by the Italian kingdom, which refrained from occupying the Leonine City militarily. In 1929, the Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini, the head of the Italian government, ended the "Prisoner in the Vatican" period by negotiating the Lateran Treaty, signed by the two parties.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

This treaty acknowledged the sovereignty of the Holy See over the Vatican City, a newly created city-state within Rome. The Papal States were also known as the Papal State; although the plural is usually preferred, the singular is equally correct as the polity was more than a mere personal union. The territories were referred to variously as the State(s) of the Church, the Pontifical States, the Ecclesiastical States, the Patrimony of St Peter or the Roman States (Italian: Stato Pontificio, also Stato della Chiesa, Stati della Chiesa, Stati Pontifici, and Stato Ecclesiastico; Latin: Status Pontificius, also Dicio Pontificia "papal rule"). In English they were also referred to as the Popedom. For its first 300 years, within the Roman Empire, the Church was persecuted and unable to hold or transfer property.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1859: 1859 Milestone — They were among the major Italian states from the 8th century until the unification of Italy, which took place between 1859 and 1870, culminating in their incorporation into the Kingdom of Italy.
2. 1860: 1860 Milestone — By 1860, much of the Papal States' territory had been conquered by the Kingdom of Sardinia and was incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, except Lazio, which remained under the pope's control.
3. 1870: 1870 Milestone — The Papal States ( PAY-pəl), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870.
4. 1929: 1929 Milestone — In 1929, the Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini, the head of the Italian government, ended the "Prisoner in the Vatican" period by negotiating the Lateran Treaty, signed by the two parties.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Papal States

True or False: “Did the Papal States maintain full military control over all their territories right up until the unification of Italy in 1870?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The territory was gradually lost; by 1860, much of it had been incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia before the final annexation of Rome in 1870.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adam Lindsay Gordon — Historical peer (Died in 1870) (1870): Pioneering British-Australian poet, horseman, and politician of the Victorian era.
• Adolf Loos — Historical peer (Born in 1870) (1870): Pioneering architect and theorist of modernism, known for his critique of ornamentation.
• A. E. Housman — Historical peer (Born in 1859) (1859): English classicist and poet, renowned for his scholarship and melancholic verse.
• Aleksandr Popov (physicist) — Historical peer (Born in 1859) (1859): Pioneering Russian physicist credited with early radio receiving technology.
• Aleksey Khomyakov — Historical peer (Died in 1860) (1860): Founding theoretician of the Slavophile movement in Russian philosophy.
• Alphonse Mucha — Historical peer (Born in 1860) (1860): Master of Art Nouveau, famed for decorative posters and The Slav Epic.
• Abdülmecid I — Historical peer (Died in 1861) (1861): 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, known for initiating the Tanzimat era of reform.
• Aleksey Yermolov — Historical peer (Died in 1861) (1861): Prominent Russian general known for service in the Napoleonic Wars and the Caucasian Campaign.
• Abdel Halim Hafez — Historical peer (Born in 1929) (1929): Iconic Egyptian singer and actor, known as 'The Brown-Skinned Nightingale'.
• Adrienne Rich — Historical peer (Born in 1929) (1929): Influential American poet, essayist, and leading voice in feminist literary discourse.

Frequently Asked Questions about Papal States