Forgotten Realms: The Papal States

The Papal States, or The States of the Church were a political entity ruled by the Popes for over a thousand years until they were dismantled and forcibly annexed into the newly formed Kingdom of Italy between 1860 and 1870.

In the wake of the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Bishops of Rome gradually acquired secular as well as spiritual power over a swath of central Italy. Alternately supporting and opposing the various great powers of Europe, the popes managed to gain recognition as absolute sovereign over his lands.

The power of the Catholic Church could not, however, withstand the growing currents of nationalism during the 19th century, and despite the best efforts of Pope Pius IX, the temporal power of the papacy was terminated in a brief war in September 1870. From that time until the signing of the Lateran Treaty in 1929 with Mussolini, the Popes lived as "Prisoners in the Vatican" refusing to set foot outside the Vatican, as that would be interpreted as them accepting the loss of the Papal States.

The Lateran Treaty established the Vatican City State as the world's smallest nation and recognized the sovereignty of the Pope over that territory. Thus Vatican City can be seen as the successor state to the States of the Church.

Flag Coat of arms
Anthem Noi vogliam Dio, Vergine Maria ( - 1857) (Italian) "We want God, Virgin Mary" Gran Marcia Trionfale (1857 - 1870) (Italian) "Great Triumphal March"
Map of the Papal States (green) in 1700 (around its greatest extent).
Capital	Rome
Language(s)	Latin, Italian
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Government	Theocracy
Pope
- 752	Stephen (elect)
- 1846–1878	Pius IX
History
- Establishment	752
- Codification	781
- 1st Disestablishment	February 15, 1798
- 2nd Disestablishment	September 20, 1870
- Vatican City	February 11, 1929
Currency	Papal States scudo (–1866) Papal States lira (1866–1870)