The Papal States were a group of territories in central Italy that were ruled directly by the popes as temporal sovereigns. They originated in the eighth century, when the Frankish king Pepin the Short gave lands to the pope after defeating the Lombards, a grant known as the Donation of Pepin. Over the centuries the territories expanded and contracted, with Rome as their capital and with regions such as Romagna and the Marches under papal rule. The popes used the states to preserve their independence and to support their position in European politics. They were gradually absorbed into the unified Kingdom of Italy during the nineteenth century, and Rome fell to Italian troops in 1870. The Vatican City State, created in 1929, is the small remnant.
Before and after
- from 750 CE to 1258Abbasid Caliphate
- from 750 CE to 1517Abbasids
- c. 751 CEOrigins of Shanghai
- 752 CEConstruction of Tōdai-ji Temple
- from 754 CE to 1870Papal States
- from 16 December 755 CE to 17 February 763 CEAn Lushan Rebellion
- from 756 CE to 929 CEEmirate of Córdoba
- from 757 CE to 1393Origins of Sijilmasa
- c. 762 CEOrigins of Baghdad
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The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 8th century.