Papal States: Map & History

History

For its first 300 years, within the Roman Empire, the Church was persecuted and unable to hold or transfer property. Early congregations met in rooms set aside for the purpose in the homes of wealthy adherents, and a number of titular churches located on the outskirts of Rome were held as property by individuals, rather than by any corporate body. Nonetheless, the property held nominally or actually by individual members of the Roman churches would usually be treated as a common patrimony handed over successively to the legitimate "heir" of that property, often its senior deacons, who were, in turn, assistants to the local bishop.

Government

The Papal States were ruled under the Pope's temporal power, comprising thirteen provinces in central and northern Italy. These provinces were administered through a hierarchical system of papal officials.

By the mid-18th century, major provinces were governed chiefly by cardinal legates (legati a latere), while provincial and principal city governments were entrusted to prelates of the Roman Curia. Lesser jurisdictions were administered by legally trained governors, who could be removed or transferred according to administrative need. Certain territories outside Italy, such as Benevento and Avignon, were likewise governed by papal prelates holding gubernatorial or vice-legatine authority.

The Papal States were governed through a centralized curial system of cardinal-led congregations.

Military

Historically the Papal States maintained military forces composed of volunteers, mercenaries (including Corsican Guard) and Catholic military orders. It was a notable regional military power from the High Middle Ages to the mid 17th century Wars of Castro.

After 1600 and especially after 1644, the Papal military became a much lower priority for the state and fell into disrepair. There were various reasons for this. Chief among them were the decline of the Ottoman Empire in the east (especially after their defeat at the hands of the Holy Roman Empire in the Great Turkish War) and the rise of Holy Roman/Austrian and Spanish power in Italy after the end of the Italian Wars.

Economy

In the 1850s, the economy of the Papal States was reportedly predominantly agrarian. The principal products included grain, olives, silk, hemp, wool, cheese, and livestock. Contemporary accounts also noted the presence of wool and silk textile workshops, as well as paper mills, imitation pearl manufactures and rope-making establishments.

In the 17th century the Papal States faced chronic financial crisis. Revenues of just over 2 million scudi were largely consumed by debt interest, and public debt rose sharply from about 15 million scudi in the 1620s to around 50 million by the 1670s.