Bishops and Archbishops of the Papal States on the Seizure of Its Territories by the Piedmontese Army (1859—1861)

Abstract. The achievement of the political Unification of Italy is related to the emergence of a prolonged conflict between Church and State that was not limited to the confrontation between Pope Pius IX and the Italian government. It was also quite noticeable at the local level. In 1859—1861 Bishops and Archbishops of the Papal States faced the seizure of the papal possessions by the Piedmontese troops and its consequences. The attitude of the Archpastors to these events was caused by various considerations of both general and particular nature. The article is an attempt to systematize and explain the reaction of the Bishops and Archbishops of the Papal States to the change of authority and the policy of the Piedmontese administration regarding these territories in 1859—1861.