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How was the Roman Republic established after Pope Pius IX fled Rome?

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Photograph of Pope Pius IX — Pius IX Pius IX is the longest-reigning pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. His pontificate lasted from 1846 to 1878.

Following the assassination of a government minister and the subsequent loss of control in Rome, Pope Pius IX fled to Gaeta in November 1848.1

In the Pope's absence, the revolutionary government held elections for a constituent assembly. On February 9, 1849, this assembly officially declared an end to the papacy's temporal power and established a democratic republic. Giuseppe Mazzini was subsequently elected as one of the republic's triumvirs and became the effective head of government, implementing various administrative, social, and ecclesiastical reforms.12

This republic was short-lived, however, as the Pope appealed to Catholic nations for intervention. A French army eventually landed in Italy and crushed the republic, leading to the restoration of papal rule in 1850.21