• Rinox
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    9 months ago

    That’s the papal state, not Vatican city. The papal state ruled over central Italy for centuries until it lost most of its territories leading up to the unification of Italy in 1861. Then lost Rome in 1870 and ceased to exist. The Pope retreated to the Vatican where he assumed the position of “prisoner in the Vatican” while the Italian government tolerated for the most part the Pope ruling over the basilica and its territories.

    The modern Vatican State is a new entity created by Mussolini and Pius XI in 1929 with the Patti Lateranensi. With the creation of this state Mussolini gained the approval from the church, which was extremely important to solidify its grip over Italy, while the Church abandoned all claims from the former papal state.

    • mightyfoolish@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Thank you. I did not realize that the Vatican was only recently made. Since the church abandoned the state, was it considered a good compromise by most Italians? I would imagine most Italians are loyal to the Pope.