Papal States

Papal States, Italian Lo Stato della Chiesa, from A.D. 754 to 1870 an independent territory under the temporal rule of the popes, also called the States of the Church and the Pontifical States. The territory belonging to the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope prior to the consolidation of the Italian government. They now make up parts of modern Italy and the Vatican City.

See also

• The Vatican State
• Holy See