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The '''Law of Guarantees''' (Italian: '''Legge delle Guarentigie''') was a statute enacted by the Kingdom of Italy on 13 May 1871 to define the civil and legal status of the Pope after the capture of Rome in 1870 and the dissolution of the Papal States. The law attempted to balance the sovereignty of the newly unified Italian nation with certain protections and privileges for the Papacy. Although the Italian government considered the law a final settlement of the "Roman Question," the Papacy rejected it entirely including the stipend. In short, it was a law granting Guarantees to the Pope.

The '''Law of Guarantees''' (Italian: '''Legge delle Guarentigie''') was the victorious [[Kingdom of Italy|Kingdom of Italy’s]] offered terms to the vanquished [[Papal States]] following the capture of [[Rome]], in 1870. The Papacy refused to accept these terms and declared the Pope’s status as a “Prisoner in the Vatican.” The events set in motion by the Law of Guarantees led to legal challenges culminating in 1873, when the [[Kingdom of Italy]] completely dismantled and annexed the final vestiges of the [[Papal States]]. 57 years, 8 months, and 29 days later, the signing of the [[Lateran Treaty]] formally concluded the matter as the official peace treaty corresponding to the terms originally presented in the Law of Guarantees.

 

The Law of Guarantees was the foundational statute enacted by the [[Kingdom of Italy]] on '''13 May 1871''' to define the civil and legal status of the Pope after the capture of Rome on 20 September 1870 and the dissolution of the Papal States. The law attempted to balance the sovereignty of the newly unified Italian nation with certain protections and privileges for the Papacy. Although the Italian government considered the law a final settlement of the “Roman Question,” the Papacy rejected it entirely, including the offered stipend. In short, the Law of Guarantees was a set of guarantees granted to the Pope.

The law represents a major turning point in European church-state relations, transitioning the Papacy from a territorial monarchy to a spiritual authority within a modern nation-state.

The law represents a major turning point in European church-state relations, transitioning the Papacy from a territorial monarchy to a spiritual authority within a modern nation-state.