How did the Congress of Vienna restore the Papal States in 1815?

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Side-by-side maps of central Italy showing the changing boundaries of the Papal States. The left map highlights the Papal States after the Treaty of Vienna in 1815 in green, showing their greatest extent. The right map shows the Papal States' reduced territory just before absorption into Italy, with orange marking areas annexed in 1860 and yellow showing the final area annexed in 1870, centered ar — Papal States The Papal States in 1815 (left) and at their annexation by Italy in 1870.

The Congress of Vienna (1815) restored the Papal States to the pope as part of its broader effort to reorganize Europe and reestablish a conservative political order following the Napoleonic Wars.12

During the Napoleonic era, the Papal States had been annexed by France and the pope had been taken prisoner. In 1815, the Congress sought to restore the pre-revolutionary status quo and establish a balance of power across the continent. As a result of the agreements finalized in the Final Act of the Congress of Vienna, the territories that had been seized were returned to papal control. This restoration was intended to stabilize the Italian peninsula, though it ignored the growing influence of nationalist sentiments that would later challenge papal temporal power during the Risorgimento.3421