Papal State: Difference between revisions

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. 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.