CHURCH STATES. The former do minions of the Popes or Roman Pontiffs in Italy. Prior to 1859, the Papal states covered a territory stretching across Mid-Italy from sea to sea and comprised an area of 17,218 square miles, with 'a population of 3,124,668 The states originated with the grant of Pepin, king of the Franks, in 754, who bestowed on Stephen If some districts which.the Lombards, against whom Stephen II solicited Pepin's as sistance, had taken from the Exarchate of Ra venna. Charlemagne confirmed this grant in 774, and in return received the title of Roman Emperor from Leo III in 800. The wise policy of the Popes in conferring favors on the Nor mans in Lower Italy secured to them in these vassals staunch protectors of the holy see. The structure of the papal power was fully com pleted in 1075 under Gregory VII. The domin ions of Matilda of Tuscany were added to the states of the Church by her request, and the Popes maintained possession of them against all the claims of the German emperors. The papacy removed a dangerous neighbor belong ing to the house of Hohenstaufen by raising the house of Anjou to the throne of Naples in the year 1265. The frequent revolutions of the Romans and the influence of the French led the Popes of the 14th century to transfer their residence, 'from 1305 till 1376, to Avignon, which Clement VI bought of Joanna, queen of Naples and Countess of Provence, in 1348. As this change of residence was made, it was charged under the influence of the king of France, it never obtained the full assent of the Romans and Germans, and anti-popes were sometimes elected by the opposing factions, and the welfare of the Church as well as of the state suffered by their mutual hostilities. After 20 years of exile the Popes returned to Rome. Julius II added Bologna to the papal domin ions in 1513 and Ancona in 1532. The Vene tians were obliged to restore Ravenna. Fer rara was also recovered from Modena in 1598, and Urbino was bequeathed to the papal chair in 1626 by its last duke, Francis Maria, of the house of Rovera. The wise administration of Sextus V restored internal order toward the end of the 16th century; but the extravagance and family partialities of some of his success ors created fresh disorder. Subsequently
Naples renounced her feudal obligations to the papal chair. After the successes of the French in Italy the Pope was forced at the Peace of Tolentmo, 13 Feb. 1797, to cede Avignon to apd Romagna, Bologna and Ferrara tc the Cisalpine republic. An insurrection in Rome against the French, 28 Dec. 1797, caused the annexation of the states of the Church to the Roman republic. I'm, VT died in Franc, The victories of the Russians and Austrians in Italy favored the election of Pope Pius VII, 14 March 1800, who, under the protection of Austrian troops,, took possession of Rome. By the concordat concluded in 1801 with the First Consul of the French republic the Pope again lost a great part of his temporal dominions. In 1807 France again declared war, and the prov inces of Ancona, Urbino, Mac( ata and Cam erino were added to the kint4doni of Italy. The possessions of the Church beyond the Apen nines were all that remained to the Pope. On 2 Feb. 1808, a French corps of 8,000 men entered Rome; the remainder of the papal states were added to France, and a pension of 2,000,000 francs settled on the Pope, whose ecclesiastical power was guaranteed by Napoleon. The de cree of 17 May 1809 put an end for the time being to the ecclesiastical state. The Pope was held a prisoner in France until the events of 1814 again permitted him to take possession of his states. Pius VII was succeeded by Leo XII, who reigned from 1823 till 1829. He was succeeded by Pius VIII, who, in his turn, was succeeded by Pius IX in 1846. The first acts of this Pope were characterized by such a lib eral spirit that diplomatic Europe was surprised. The events of 1848 caused the Pope to pause in his advanced policy, which so dissatisfied the extreme liberal party that they drove Pius IX from Rome, and the reins of government fell into the hands of Garibaldi, Mazzini and Avez zano (1849). Some few months afterward the French government, resolving to restore the papal authority, sent General Oudinot with an army against Rome Defeated in their first at tack on the city, the French began a siege in regular form, and in a month's time were mas ters of it. Pope Pius did not return to Rome, however, until the following year.