Why did Camillo Benso, count di Cavour argue that Rome should become Italy’s capital?

Camillo Benso, count di Cavour, believed that only Rome could serve as the capital of the newly unified Italian state. His advocacy for this position was rooted in his vision for the future of both the nation and the church.1

Cavour was a passionate proponent of the separation of church and state, famously promoting the formula of "a free church in a free state". He argued that for the church to truly renew the world, it needed to renounce its temporal power and surrender Rome to the Italian nation. Cavour believed that an entirely spiritual papacy would ultimately benefit mankind, and he viewed this liberty of the church as a fundamental pillar for the development of the new, united Italy.1