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Papal State: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox country | {{Infobox country | ||
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| established_event2 = Formal borders established | | established_event2 = Formal borders established | ||
| sovereignty_type = Establishment | | sovereignty_type = Establishment | ||
| established_date2 = | | established_date2 = 1 July [[1815]] | ||
| area_km2 = | | area_km2 = | ||
| area_rank = | | area_rank = | ||
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==Geography== | ==Geography== | ||
The Papal State is a landlocked enclave entirely within the city of [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] in [[Urcea]], located on the southern bank of the Esquiline River. The state is approximately rectangular shaped, occupying a space of 1.6 miles east to west and .8 miles north to south at its widest and tallest, giving the state about a square mile of area. | The Papal State is a landlocked enclave entirely within the city of [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] in [[Urcea]], located on the southern bank of the Esquiline River. The state is approximately rectangular shaped, occupying a space of 1.6 miles east to west and .8 miles north to south at its widest and tallest, giving the state about a square mile of area. Much of the state is within the Vatican Walls, a complex of medieval and renaissance fortifications surrounding the State. Almost the entirety of the Papal State's landmass is covered in buildings or roads, with the exception of various Papal gardens. | ||
Prior to the River Concordat of 1815, the State encompassed an uncertain amount of territory which largely depended on rival claims inconsistent with modern definitions of state boundaries, but at its most liberal definition the State encompassed the entire territory of the [[Duchy of Transurciana]], the parts of the [[Archduchy of Urceopolis]] south of the Esquiline and east of the [[Urce River]]. Papal control gradually contracted to a smaller but still uncertain boundary until the modern borders were fixed in 1815. | Prior to the River Concordat of 1815, the State encompassed an uncertain amount of territory which largely depended on rival claims inconsistent with modern definitions of state boundaries, but at its most liberal definition the State encompassed the entire territory of the [[Duchy of Transurciana]], the parts of the [[Archduchy of Urceopolis]] south of the Esquiline and east of the [[Urce River]]. Papal control gradually contracted to a smaller but still uncertain boundary until the modern borders were fixed in 1815. | ||
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===Early emergence=== | ===Early emergence=== | ||
During the period of the [[Great_Levantia#Potentate_–_the_Principate|Great Levantine Potentate]], the office of Pontifex Maximus wielded supreme political and religious authority in the state. As the state transitioned to [[Great_Levantia#Potentate_–_the_Dominate|the Dominate]], the office of Pontifex Maximus was diverged from that of Emperor and became an Imperial appointee, retaining some official standing and religious leadership but losing the position of preeminent political office. In [[314]], the first Christian Emperor, [[Amadeus Agrippa]] permanently gave the office of Pontifex Maximus to the [[Pope|Bishop of Urceopolis]], greatly enhancing the political prestige of the Pope and also giving it nominal responsibilities within the Great Levantine state. The [[Great_Levantia#End_of_the_Empire|collapse of the Empire in 502]] resulted in the Urceopolitan Bishop having not only significant religious authority but also political authority as the primary arbiter of disputes between the statelets and manors in the Urce river valley. The collapse also led to the Pope solidifying control over the parts of [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] immediately surrounding [[St. Peter's Archbasilica]], those parts which were south of the Esquiline River. This control was allegedly confirmed by an act of the [[Duchy of Urceopolis]] in [[520]] called the Esquiline Decree, though historians - both then and now - have questioned the legitimacy or existence of such an act. In any case, the Pope began to wield significant hard and soft political authority in the 6th century. The Pope would, in time, also come to influence the election of the Duke of Urceopolis by the end of the 8th century. | During the period of the [[Great_Levantia#Potentate_–_the_Principate|Great Levantine Potentate]], the office of Pontifex Maximus wielded supreme political and religious authority in the state. As the state transitioned to [[Great_Levantia#Potentate_–_the_Dominate|the Dominate]], the office of Pontifex Maximus was diverged from that of Emperor and became an Imperial appointee, retaining some official standing and religious leadership but losing the position of preeminent political office. In [[314]], the first Christian Emperor, [[Amadeus Agrippa]] permanently gave the office of Pontifex Maximus to the [[Pope|Bishop of Urceopolis]], greatly enhancing the political prestige of the Pope and also giving it nominal responsibilities within the Great Levantine state. The [[Great_Levantia#End_of_the_Empire|collapse of the Empire in 502]] resulted in the Urceopolitan Bishop having not only significant religious authority but also political authority as the primary arbiter of disputes between the statelets and manors in the Urce river valley. The collapse also led to the Pope solidifying control over the parts of [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] immediately surrounding [[St. Peter's Archbasilica]], those parts which were south of the Esquiline River. This control was allegedly confirmed by an act of the [[Duchy of Urceopolis]] in [[520]] called the Esquiline Decree, though historians - both then and now - have questioned the legitimacy or existence of such an act. In any case, the Pope began to wield significant hard and soft political authority in the 6th century. The Pope would, in time, also come to influence the election of the Duke of Urceopolis by the end of the 8th century. | ||
[[File:Monuments of the early church (1901) (14596792999).jpg|thumb|left|200px|The first [[St. Peter's Archbasilica]], center of Papal authority per the supposed Esquiline Decree.]] | |||
The establishment of the [[Holy Levantine Empire|Levantine Empire]] by [[Conchobar I, Emperor of the Levantines|Emperor Conchobar I]] in the 750s and 760s transformed Papal political authority in the span of just a few years. Conchobar consolidated most of [[The Valley (Urcea)|the Urce Valley]] into the [[Archduchy of Urceopolis]]; as part of this, he created the [[Duchy of Transurciana]] out of a large portion of lands east of the Urce and south of the Esquiline River (with the exception of [[Urceopolis_(City)#Kingswood|Kingswood]]). This Duchy, though part of the Archduchy and subordinated to the Archduke of Urceopolis, had the right of final appeal to the Pope. The Duchy became, de facto, part of the Pope's direct domain. This distinction, however, was never formalized into law, leading to centuries of debates between the Pope and the future Urcean Crown about the exact extent of the Pope's earthly political authority. By the 11th century, through both his direct domains, the Duchy, and other areas obtained, the Pope had accrued large amounts of political power and influence within the southern Holy Levantine Empire, rivaled only by the [[Julian dynasty|Julian]] Urceopolis-Harren realm. This period saw the conferral of formal rights to the Pope on an individual diplomatic basis just Transurciana, usually in the form of perpetual tribute of taxes by various small cities and feudal entities; these were usually obtained either as pious acts of charity or in exchange for Papal support for political aims. Many of these tax agreements would persist through the 19th century. | The establishment of the [[Holy Levantine Empire|Levantine Empire]] by [[Conchobar I, Emperor of the Levantines|Emperor Conchobar I]] in the 750s and 760s transformed Papal political authority in the span of just a few years. Conchobar consolidated most of [[The Valley (Urcea)|the Urce Valley]] into the [[Archduchy of Urceopolis]]; as part of this, he created the [[Duchy of Transurciana]] out of a large portion of lands east of the Urce and south of the Esquiline River (with the exception of [[Urceopolis_(City)#Kingswood|Kingswood]]). This Duchy, though part of the Archduchy and subordinated to the Archduke of Urceopolis, had the right of final appeal to the Pope. The Duchy became, de facto, part of the Pope's direct domain. This distinction, however, was never formalized into law, leading to centuries of debates between the Pope and the future Urcean Crown about the exact extent of the Pope's earthly political authority. By the 11th century, through both his direct domains, the Duchy, and other areas obtained, the Pope had accrued large amounts of political power and influence within the southern Holy Levantine Empire, rivaled only by the [[Julian dynasty|Julian]] Urceopolis-Harren realm. This period saw the conferral of formal rights to the Pope on an individual diplomatic basis just Transurciana, usually in the form of perpetual tribute of taxes by various small cities and feudal entities; these were usually obtained either as pious acts of charity or in exchange for Papal support for political aims. Many of these tax agreements would persist through the 19th century. | ||
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===Esquiline Commune=== | ===Esquiline Commune=== | ||
The conflict between King Seán I and the Papacy resulted in [[History_of_Urcea_(1098-1214)#The_Crown_and_the_Papacy|rumors of war]]. These rumors led to a popular uprising in the parts of the city south of the Esquiline which, on 1 November [[1157]], formed the Esquiline Commune. The Commune recognized the spiritual authority of the Pope as well as his ownership of the lands, but created a new form of government primarily run by the burghers who formed a senate and elected the First Patrician, modeling their administration after {{wp|mercantile republic}}s. The Commune would begin to receive funds and support from the King in [[1158]], and critically recognized that the King, rather than Pope, as final court of appeal for political and administrative matters. For a time, the Pope and First Patrician coexisted peacefully, but the Pope eventually fled to the [[Duchy of Transurciana]] in [[1161]] and raised an army to unseat the Communal government. The Communal government raised both locals and hired Urcean mercenaries and defeated the Papal army in [[1162]]. The Commune received official royal support in [[1174]]. Between 1174 and 1176, an antipope - Urban III - reigned over the city as installed by King Seán I as the legitimate Pope fled to [[Carolina]]. A number of bad omens and illnesses induced Seán to repent, ultimately destroying the Commune and restoring the legitimate Pope to the city. | |||
[[File:Weltchronik Fulda Aa88 182v detail.jpg|thumb|right|200px|14th century depiction of the Commune offering legal authority to King Seán I and the Papal-Communal battle in [[1162]]. This period is generally considered the nadir of Papal-Royal relations.]] | |||
While the Commune was primarily an issue of the relationship between the authority of the King and the authority of the Pope, its existence had longterm ramifications for the temporal authority of the Pope. After nearly four centuries of ruling lands from Urceopolis to the border of [[Harren]] undisturbed, the broader Papal domains were significantly interrupted during the time of the Commune's existence. The Pope's Esquiline domains formed not only the administrative and diplomatic center of his realm, but it also served as the main source of income and manpower. Having lost it, the Pope was functionally unable to impose his temporal will on the constellation of lords previously under his authority. Consequently, throughout the 1160s and 1170s, Papal authority waned in Transurciana and elsewhere as the local nobility had to rely on themselves for support, inaugurating a period of feuding and lawlessness. Dozens of barons and counts, accordingly, declared their allegiance to the King in order to prevent their domains from being attacked and taken. As part of the effort to rehabilitate Royal-Papal relations, many of these allegiance changes were subsequently recognized by the Pope and later ratified by the [[Imperial Diet]] in [[1192]], significantly weakening the Pope's overall position while somewhat shrinking his domains. | |||
===Decline=== | ===Decline=== | ||
The general loss of cachet and prestige of the Pope continued after the Esquiline Commune affair. His position was weakened greatly by it, not only by the gradual loss of vassals but also as a result of the office's declining standing as a temporal ruler. Various financial shortfalls during the 14th century - generated by economic devestation wrought in the lands of the former Commune - required the Pope to sell off some of his vassalage rights in the [[Duchy of Transurciana]] to either the Urcean crown or its vassals, decreasing the territorial domains of the Pope. Additionally, in [[1207]], the King-Emperor Niall I [[History_of_Urcea_(1098-1214)#End_of_the_House_of_Harren|issued the Golden Bull of 1207]], which added nine Bishop-electors to the [[Collegial Electorate]] while dramatically reducing the autonomy of Transurciana and also truncating its lands. Though protesting privately, {{Wp|Pope Innocent III}} accepted this exchange due to the new significant influence in Imperial politics it gave the Church. Throughout the remainder of the 13th century and the first decades of the 14th century, Papal lands continued to diminish through similar diplomatic deals as well as military engagements with Urcean vassals. A sudden change of fortune took place in [[1339]], however, as the [[Saint's War]] produced a [[History_of_Urcea_(1214-1402)#Great_Interregnum|Great Interregnum]] in which no member of the [[Julian dynasty]] conclusively established themselves as [[Apostolic King of Urcea]]. During this period, the local nobles of Urceopolis revolted and installed {{wp|Pope Benedict XII}} as protector of the city, effectively giving the Papacy control over all of Urceopolis. From this position, the Pope temporarily revitalized his position in Transurciana by establishing overlordship of Urcean vassals rather than his own. This last zenith of power would reach an end in [[1402]] as the Saint's War came to an end and the Pope was forced to cede back Urceopolis to the new King, Lucás II. The slight revitalization allowed the Pope to retain some power throughout the remainder of the 15th century. | |||
[[File:Emanuele Filiberto vince i Francesi a San Quintino.png|thumb|left|200px|The Protestant Reformation, and the resulting [[Great Confessional War|military conflict]] would restore the Pope to Urceopolis but would also prove the end of the Duchy of Transurciana.]] | |||
The 16th century would prove disastrous for both the temporal and spiritual authority of the Pope. The outbreak of the {{wp|Protestant Reformation}} inaugurated a period of religious turmoil which undermined Papal authority in religious matters significantly as portions of Levantine society became Protestant. In [[1546]], the first of the Protestant [[History_of_Urcea_(1402-1575)#Ronanid_reign|Ronanids]] took control of Urcea. Though initially pledging toleration, the Pope was induced to flee [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] in [[1548]], thereby abandoning his domains which were seized by the crown as were most monastic lands and other ecclesiastical properties. The [[Emperor of the Levantines]] responded by giving all territories {{wp|Imperial immediacy}}, functionally destroying the constitutional order established by the first Emperor in the 8th century. This act also functionally dissolved the Duchy of Transurciana, though the ensuing [[Catholic League]] promised to restore those lands held directly by the Pope. The [[Great Confessional War]] would culminate with the Pope's restoration in Urceopolis in [[1565]]. Per an agreement between the Pope and new King, [[Leo III, Emperor of the Levantines|Leo II]], all direct Papal territories were restored as were many negotiated taxing agreements between the Pope and various cities, but the Duchy of Transurciana was not restored, effectively ending the Pope's political authority within Urcea. Most, but not all, Church lands were restored as well; some were retained by the Crown for use in reestablishing a Catholic nobility but many were repurposed as [[Housing_in_Urcea#Religious_war_period|productive lands to be used for the first Ómestaderoi]]. The Papacy in 1600 was restored in Urceopolis and religious authority largely reasserted, but it would never again have the direct temporal authority it had enjoyed in the high medieval period. | |||
===Ambiguous legal status=== | ===Ambiguous legal status=== | ||
By the dawn of the 17th century, the temporal authority of the Pope had waned significantly, though his independence and sovereignty had been secured by the Catholic victory in the [[Great Confessional War]] and promises to that effect by [[Leo III, Emperor of the Levantines|King Leo II]]. The portions of Urceopolis south of the Esquiline were largely, but not entirely, part of his domain. A small number of scattered manors and a handful of monasteries throughout Urcea still retained direct Papal oversight. In some parts of [[Harren]], two cities in [[Canaery]], and four counties in central [[Archduchy of Urceopolis|Archduchy]], cities owed a small portion of their overall tax and manpower to the Pope; these Papal fiefs were part of the overall complex of overlapping jurisdictions that characterized pre-[[Administrative Reorganization Act of 1892|Reorganization Act]] Urcea. In Urceopolis itself, the borders of the Papal territory were extremely unclear especially in the wake of the Great Confessional War, where some (but not all) legal acts of the Ronanid Urcean Kings remained in force. Throughout the 1600s and 1700s, legal disputes between the Papacy and Crown were common in Urcean courts as the Royal and city government gave approval for encroachment into the [[Urceopolis_(City)#Petersbaile|Petersbaile]] and [[Urceopolis_(City)#Popeswood|Popeswood]] areas of Urceopolis. The ownership of an area called [[Urceopolis_(City)#the_Royal_Burgh_(the_Strip)|the Strip]] was also contested due to changes in the flow of Churchcreek over time. Issues related to free access to the [[Urce River]] for both economic and diplomatic purposes were also unclear, and the ability of the Papal State to access the sea unfettered depended on the good will of the individual Urcean monarch. A "final Papal settlement" was pursued at various times during the 1760s and 1770s, but no agreement could be reached. As the Apostolic Kings of Urcea assumed the position of [[Emperor of the Levantines]] beginning around 1700, the Papal State assumed a higher feudal status similar to that of other Imperial polities, thereby elevating it to a continued place of diplomatic prominence and legal sovereign assurance. After the [[Second Caroline War]], Urcea would lose the Imperial title and inaugurate a period of uncertainty known as the [[Recess of the Julii]]. The Recess was beneficial to the Papacy, however, as it gave the Popes leverage to reach a final settlement with Urcea as the Apostolic Kings sought to solidify their reign in light of the major defeat and loss of position. | By the dawn of the 17th century, the temporal authority of the Pope had waned significantly, though his independence and sovereignty had been secured by the Catholic victory in the [[Great Confessional War]] and promises to that effect by [[Leo III, Emperor of the Levantines|King Leo II]]. The portions of Urceopolis south of the Esquiline were largely, but not entirely, part of his domain. A small number of scattered manors and a handful of monasteries throughout Urcea still retained direct Papal oversight. In some parts of [[Harren]], two cities in [[Canaery]], and four counties in central [[Archduchy of Urceopolis|Archduchy]], cities owed a small portion of their overall tax and manpower to the Pope; these Papal fiefs were part of the overall complex of overlapping jurisdictions that characterized pre-[[Administrative Reorganization Act of 1892|Reorganization Act]] Urcea. In Urceopolis itself, the borders of the Papal territory were extremely unclear especially in the wake of the Great Confessional War, where some (but not all) legal acts of the Ronanid Urcean Kings remained in force. Throughout the 1600s and 1700s, legal disputes between the Papacy and Crown were common in Urcean courts as the Royal and city government gave approval for encroachment into the [[Urceopolis_(City)#Petersbaile|Petersbaile]] and [[Urceopolis_(City)#Popeswood|Popeswood]] areas of Urceopolis. The ownership of an area called [[Urceopolis_(City)#the_Royal_Burgh_(the_Strip)|the Strip]] was also contested due to changes in the flow of Churchcreek over time. Issues related to free access to the [[Urce River]] for both economic and diplomatic purposes were also unclear, and the ability of the Papal State to access the sea unfettered depended on the good will of the individual Urcean monarch. In general, the status of the State was heavily contested in both courts and in popular publications. It became unclear if the Papal State was a state ''as such'' or if it was merely a collection of territories legally within [[Urcea]] owned by an otherwise stateless {{wp|Holy See}}. As international relations became increasingly rules-based with legal frameworks in the 18th century, the Papal domain had become an anachronism without clear definition. Despite efforts by Papal lawyers to assert the sovereignty of the realm, lack of formal cession of territories from Urcea proved a key impediment that could not be overcome, requiring a negotiated settlement. | ||
A "final Papal settlement" was pursued at various times during the 1760s and 1770s, but no agreement could be reached. As the Apostolic Kings of Urcea assumed the position of [[Emperor of the Levantines]] beginning around 1700, the Papal State assumed a higher feudal status similar to that of other Imperial polities, thereby elevating it to a continued place of diplomatic prominence and legal sovereign assurance. This state of affairs had temporarily removed the need for such a settlement, giving it low priority in the eyes of the Urcean crown. After the [[Second Caroline War]], Urcea would lose the Imperial title and inaugurate a period of uncertainty known as the [[Recess of the Julii]]. The Recess was beneficial to the Papacy, however, as it gave the Popes leverage to reach a final settlement with Urcea as the Apostolic Kings sought to solidify their reign in light of the major defeat and loss of position. The [[Emperor of the Levantines]] would use the [[Imperial Inquisition]] to harass Urcean officials and citizens under the guise of legitimate law enforcement actions, a jurisdictional issue that only the Pope could resolve. With an important bargaining piece in play, conditions were now right to conclude a formal permanent solution for the Papal legal question. | |||
===River Concordat of 1815=== | ===River Concordat of 1815=== | ||
[[ | In [[Urcea]], King Niall V took the throne in [[1809]] and inaugurated a wave of reforms. As part of his reforming mindset, the King was temperamentally inclined to resolve the Papal question for its own sake; the Pope's proposal to remove the jurisdiction of the [[Imperial Inquisition]] from the country was an additional benefit. The King personally traveled to the Vatican to conduct negotiations as a sign of respect on an almost daily basis between August 1814 and January 1815. Besides Urcea's formal recognition of the Papal State as a completely sovereign entity and cession of some lands in [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] to the Pope, there were several issues that needed to be negotiated, including: the precise nature of the new State's borders; the status of extra-Urceopolitan Papal estates; access of the Papal State to the sea, and; incomes and tributes owed to the Papacy by cities and territories within Urcea. The issue of precise borders was left to the end of the negotiation. | ||
[[File:Pie VII Travaux pour l'obélisque.png|thumb|right|200px|''Receiving the Concordat Men'' (1824) depicts the opening of negotiations for what would become the solidification of Papal sovereignty.]] | |||
The Pope's various estates beyond Urceopolis was the first issue resolved. All territories and estates outside of the boundaries of the Papal State in Urceopolis would be ceded to Urcea. All major {{wp|Papal basilica}}s in the greater Urceopolis area would be afforded {{wp|Extraterritoriality|extraterritorial status}}, as would a number of administrative structures in Urceopolis itself. Any farm estate, manor, or other territory smaller than 500 acres and with less than a thousand inhabitants would remain personal property of the Holy See while being converted to {{wp|Freehold (law)|freehold deeded properties}} rather than feudal manorial lands. Any properties larger than 500 acres or with more than a thousand inhabitants were ceded directly to the Urcean Crown in exchange for financial compensation to be determined after a survey that would occur in [[1818]] through [[1820]]. | |||
The State's access to the sea was the second issue and it was quickly resolved. The Papal State was guaranteed free access to the use of the [[Urce River]] in perpetuity. Papal traffic and any trade was fully exempt from tariff and customs requirements as well as tolling of any kind. The Papal State was entitled to maintain a naval force with use of Urcean military harbors for free subject to prior authorization and agreement, though in actuality the Papal State would never make use of that provision. | |||
The third issue resolves was that of the taxes and tribute owed to the Pope by scattered cities and domains throughout the country. These taxes were now forfeit, and the effected entities would pay these taxes to the Urcean government (until the [[Administrative Reorganization Act of 1892]]). The crown would pay the Papal State the [[1810]] collections from these cities through [[1850]], at which time a new agreement for provision of payment "for the general welfare of the Papal State" would be concluded. Such an agreement was ratified in [[1848]] and remains in effect as of [[2035]]. | |||
The final issue resolved was the specific borders of the Papal State. Urcea abandoned its extreme claims - all lands outside the direct walls of the Vatican - but sought Popeswood and the Strip, which the Pope was hesitant to cede. However, the Crown agreed to pay an additional sum - double the 1810 tax collection - for a period between [[1815]] and [[1830]] as compensation for the lost lands, to which the Pope agreed. With the major negotiated issues out of the way, the Pope agreed to remove Urcea from the jurisdiction of the [[Imperial Inquisition]] and allowed the Crown to directly enforce ecclesiasitcal law (through the new office of the [[Censor (Urcea)|Censor]]). These provisions were included under the guise of a "necessity and due course of the cession of Papal territory", a vague provision which allowed Urcea and the Pope to conclude the agreement without the ratification of the [[Imperial Diet]]. The Concordat was signed on Good Friday, March 24th, 1815, and would take effect on 1 July. On that date, the Papal State was ceded its allotted portions of Urceopolis and was recognized globally as a fully independent sovereign state. The treaty provided that the Papal State was not a new creation but an uninterrupted continuation of the political independence and domain of the Pope dating back to [[Great Levantia]] and the Esquiline Decree. This status, which freed the Pope of any earthly authority, meant that the new state was outside the boundaries of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], a position not recognized by the Emperor or Imperial Diet until [[1842]]. | |||
===19th through 21st centuries=== | |||
The new Papal State continued on relatively undisturbed for the remainder of the 19th century, gradually being recognized by most nations internationally besides [[Caphiria]]. Throughout the course of the century, the various parts of the 1815 Concordat unfolded as agreed upon, and the Papal State's administrators gradually accommodated its budget as tribute and taxes drew down over the course of the century. The agreement allowed the Pope greater flexibility to focus on international affairs and religious concerns rather than domestic Levantine political issues, increasing the overall reach of the Papacy in a century of significant missionary activity. These peaceful decades came to an end during the [['97 Rising]]. Though the Papal State was largely unaffected for most of the conflict, and remained neutral on the political issue of the [[Red Interregnum]], it came under assault in the final days of the war by the secular, socialist [[Urcean Republic]]. The Republic's National Guard seized control of the Papal State during the [[Siege of Urceopolis]], but not before the [[Pope]] was able to flee to allied lines outside the city. The seizure of the State led to a number of defections and condemnations of republicanism and played a role in the collapse of the Republic. The Pope was restored to the city on 19 November, entering it with [[Patrick III of Urcea|King Patrick III]], whom the Pope crowned as King in [[St. Peter's Archbasilica]] that night. The restored Papal State resumed its peaceful existence following the conflict. Over the course of the 20th century, as airline travel became more common, the Papal State became a massive tourism destination, greatly increasing domestic revenue. In the 21st century, it remains one of the great religious and tourist centers of the world, and the Pope regularly uses his realm as a site of peace discussions and global conferences on matters of concern. | |||
==Government== | ==Government== | ||
[[File:Vatikan-Regierungspalast.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The Palace of the Governorate is the ''de facto'' seat of government of the Papal State, distinct from the seat of Papal authority.]] | |||
The government of the Papal State has a unique structure. As governed by the Holy See, the [[Pope]] is the sovereign of the state, while legislative authority is vested in the Pontifical Commission for the State of the Church, a body of cardinals appointed by the Pope for five-year periods. Executive power is in the hands of the president of that commission, assisted by the general secretary and deputy general secretary. The state's foreign relations are entrusted to the Holy See's Secretariat of State and diplomatic service. Nevertheless, the Pope has absolute power in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches over the Papal State, and is thus the only absolute monarch in [[Levantia]]. Operationally, there are departments that deal with health, security, telecommunications and other matters. | The government of the Papal State has a unique structure. As governed by the Holy See, the [[Pope]] is the sovereign of the state, while legislative authority is vested in the Pontifical Commission for the State of the Church, a body of cardinals appointed by the Pope for five-year periods. Executive power is in the hands of the president of that commission, assisted by the general secretary and deputy general secretary. The state's foreign relations are entrusted to the Holy See's Secretariat of State and diplomatic service. Nevertheless, the Pope has absolute power in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches over the Papal State, and is thus the only absolute monarch in [[Levantia]]. Operationally, there are departments that deal with health, security, telecommunications and other matters. | ||
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==Economy== | ==Economy== | ||
The economy of the Papal State is mostly driven by the presence of the administrative apparatus of the [[Catholic Church]], which is partially contained within its walls. A large service sector exists to provide the necessary accommodations (housing, food, personal services, etc.) to support the several thousand support staff and priests who work within the State as well as the several thousand ancient residents of the Papal State. Most ancient residents of the State either work within its service sector or commute to work in Urcea, giving the Papal State a significant inflow of capital. Another major sector is {{wp|tourism}}, as [[St. Peter's Archbasilica]] and other major sites, such as the {{wp|Vatican Museum}}, are some of the most visited places in the world. The tourism industry also provides a significant boost to the service sector economy, as two major hotels and dozens of restaurants are located within the State to provide for visitors from abroad as well as local patrons. | [[File:Crowd in front of a building with a dome photographed from behind a statue on an adjacent rooftop.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[St. Peter's Archbasilica]] is one of the world's most visited locations, making tourism a significant part of the Papal State's economy.]] | ||
The economy of the Papal State is mostly driven by the presence of the administrative apparatus of the [[Catholic Church]], which is partially contained within its walls. A large service sector exists to provide the necessary accommodations (housing, food, personal services, etc.) to support the several thousand support staff and priests who work within the State as well as the several thousand ancient residents of the Papal State. Most ancient residents of the State either work within its service sector or commute to work in Urcea, giving the Papal State a significant inflow of capital. Another major sector is {{wp|tourism}}, as [[St. Peter's Archbasilica]] and other major sites, such as the {{wp|Vatican Museum}}, are some of the most visited places in the world. The tourism industry also provides a significant boost to the service sector economy, as two major hotels and dozens of restaurants are located within the State to provide for visitors from abroad as well as local patrons. The issuance of stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos makes creates significant annual revenues for the State as well. | |||
The Papal State uses the [[Taler]] as its primary currency. | The Papal State uses the [[Taler]] as its primary currency. | ||
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[[Category:IXWB]] | [[Category:IXWB]] | ||
[[Category: Urceopolis]] | [[Category: Urceopolis]] | ||
[[Category: Map Completion Project]] | [[Category: Map Completion Project (Completed)]] | ||