Where were the Papal States located in Italy?

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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 Papal States were a historical region located in central Italy over which the pope held sovereignty from 756 to 1870.12

The territory encompassed the modern Italian regions of Lazio, Umbria, and Marche, as well as parts of Emilia-Romagna. While the extent of these lands fluctuated significantly over the centuries, at their greatest reach under Pope Julius II, they stretched from Bologna in the north down along the Adriatic coast and through Umbria to the Campagna region south of Rome.13