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Popes of Rome from 1700
- 1700 Pius VI 1721 Pius VII 1724 Leo XII 1730 Pius VIII 1740 Gregory XVI 1758 Pius IX 1769 Leo XIII. 1775 1800 1823 1829 1831 1846 1878
HISTORICAL EDIFICES. Of the magnificent cathedral of St. Peter, the grandest ecclesiastic structure in the world; the church of St. John Lateran, the oldest and most interesting of them all; the Vatican, with its priceless treasures of art and literature; the 365 churches; the palaces of the nobles; the fountains and statues which adorn Rome and render it grand even in its fall, and glorious in its decadence, there is not space to speak at length. Many improvements have been made in the condition of the thoroughfares and residential buildings, and a new city is springing up on the Esquiline and Viminal hills. Rome has a population of 372,779. Its manufactures are not extensive, and its trade is small, but it has entered upon a new lease of prosperity since it became the capital of the kingdom. Florence, the capital of the province of that name, and formerly (1865-71) of the kingdom of Italy, is on the Arno, about 140 m. N.-W. of Rome, and is one of the most beautiful of all the Italian cities. It contains 170 churches, the most famous of which are the Duomo, the rival of St Peter's, and the church of Santa Croce, the foundations of which were laid six centuries ago. The latter contains the tombs of Galileo, Machiavelli, Ugo Foscolo, Michel Angelo, and the poet Alfieri. The picture galleries, libraries, and palaces of Florence are unrivalled. Florence was founded before the beginning of the Christian era, and was a considerable city in the 5th century. From the 13th to the 16th centuries it was the capital of a republic, but afterwards fell under the domination of the Medici family. Its trade, formerly very great, has diminished as compared with that of other and younger cities, and its population is now not greater than it was 600 years ago. Venice the wonderful, which maintained its liberties for 13 centuries, until entered by the French in 1797, was at one time the most splendid and powerful city in Europe. It was founded by fugitives from the mainland when Attila the Hun ravaged northern Italy, and its unique construction and situation, as well as the wealth of its architectural and artistic treasures, render it the delight of the artist and the goal of travellers from every land. The city stands in the midst of a series of lagoons, and is built on a multitude of small islands, all its important buildings being supported on piles. It contains more than 100 canals spanned by 4 times that number of bridges, including the Rialto and the Bridge of Sighs. The cathedral and campanile of St. Mark, (the patron saint of Venice) the palace of the Doge, the lions and the bronze horses of St. Mark, the arsenal and dockyard, the hundred churches, palaces of the nobles, and the galleries, museums, and libraries of Venice, are world famed. Even yet the city transacts considerable commerce with foreign nations, and its manufactures of glass, tapestry, lace, and furniture afford employment to many thousands. Naples, the largest city of Italy, is also one of the very oldest, and is supposed to have been founded by the Greeks four centuries before the birth of Christ. Its site is one of the most magnificent in the world, the city lying on the north side of a nearly semi-circular bay in a natural amphitheatre, with the massive crest of Vesuvius for a background. Its public edifices are not so fine as those of most large Italian cities, but it contains churches, palaces, and theatres of splendid proportions, and many famous galleries, museums, and educational institutions. Naples has a large trade and numerous manufactures. It has passed successively under the sway of many dynasties, and was finally incorporated with the kingdom of Italy in 1860. Palermo is the capital and chief seaport of Sicily, and is popularly supposed to have been founded by the Phoenicians. It was taken by the Carthaginians, afterwards formed part of the Roman Empire, then fell into the hands of the Saracens, and became the capital of the kingdom of Sicily in 1072. It is a handsome city, enjoying great natural advantages and possessing many rich relics of antiquity. Palermo has an excellent harbor and an extensive commerce. Milan was an old and important town in the latter days of the Roman Empire, and is yet the chief city of Lombardy. It contains many magnificent edifices, chief of which is the Duomo, or cathedral, begun in 1387 and not yet completed. The city has a small trade and comparatively few manufactures. Turin, the former capital of the Sardinian States, and for a few years the seat of Government of United Italy, is beautifully situated at the confluence of the Dora-Susina with the Po, and is a large and handsome city. It contains few ancient buildings, but its modern public edifices are among the finest in Europe. Genoa, capital of the province of the same name, is the finest city of Northwestern Italy. Its trade and manufactures are of considerable importance, and its history is of the most interesting character. Of smaller but scarcely less famous cities there are Padua, Verona, Parma, Modena, Mantua, Pisa, and Bologna in Italy proper; Messina and Catania in Sicily, and Cagliari in the island of Sardinia.
HISTORY. The kingdom of Italy, as at present constituted, is almost the youngest monarchy in Europe, dating only from 1870. The early history of the peninsula is that of the Roman State in its greatest magnificence. Augustus divided the country into eleven provinces, but most of these ultimately passed into the hands of the Gothic invaders. Venice was founded in the 5th century by fugitives fleeing from before Attila and the Huns, and in the 8th century the Longobards, a Germanic tribe, threatened Rome itself. But Charlemagne conquered Lombardy, and in the year 800 was crowned as Roman emperor, while Rome itself passed under the control of the Pope. Northern Italy was conquered by the German kings, and the Southern division was ruled by the Byzantine emperors and Saracens until the rise of the Normans (1055-1100). Thenceforward the history of Italy is a record of constant struggles and warfare. Some of the cities, as Milan, Florence, Genoa, and Pisa, obtained considerable municipal privileges. In the 14th and 15th centuries Naples, Florence, Milan, the States of the Church, and Venice, were independent, and amongst them had absorbed almost all of Italy. Venice was all powerful on the Adriatic, and formed the chief bulwark against the invasion of Western Europe by the Turks. During the 18th century Austria acquired large territories in the north, and the Republics of Genoa and Venice sank into insignificance. Grand dukes and petty princes divided the remnant of the land amongst them, and ruled in fancied security, until the French Revolution came to shake the foundations of the ancient structure. Napoleon overran Italy, dividing it first into Republics, of which four existed at one time, and afterwards consolidating it into a kingdom. Much of the northern country was annexed to France, and Naples was erected into a kingdom, governed first by Joseph Bonaparte, and afterwards by Murat. The Congress of Vienna, which met after the fall of Napoleon, had but one aim, and that was to restore as completely as possible the old bounderies and the old tyrannies. Consequently Italy was again divided into half a score of petty principalities, the rulers being representatives of various princely houses. The natural consequence was seen in the outbreak of the Carbonari, which was met by stern restrictive measures on the part of the Austrians. In 1848 came the earthquake. Sicily rose against the King of Naples; Radetzky, the commander of the Austrian army, was driven out of Lombardy; Venice proclaimed its independence; and the Pope fled to Gaeta from Rome, which was declared a Republic. Charles Albert, King of Sardinia, placed himself at the head of the popular movement, but was beaten in three great battles, and once more the hatred rule of the Austrian was established. Rome was captured by the French, Louis Napoleon, then President of the French Republic, having sent an army of occupation. In 1859, France effected an alliance with Sardinia against Austria, and the great battles of Magenta and Solferino were followed by the Treaty of Villafranca, which confirmed Austria in the possession of Venetia, gave Lombardy to Sardinia, and left the question about the Grand Duchies open. In March 1860 Savoy and Nice were ceded to France, to which they are still attached. Garibaldi and his volunteers conquered the Two Sicilies, Francis II. of Naples fled in terror, and the end of the great popular uprising was that in March 1861 Victor Emmanuel of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy. The Austrians held Venice until 1866, when Italy and Prussia united their forces against her. Rome remained in the hands of the French until the outbreak of the Franco-German war, in spite of the abortive revolutions instigated by Mazzini and Garibaldi. Finally, on September 20th, 1870, the national forces entered Rome, which became at last the capital of United Italy. Victor Emmanuel was succeeded in 1877 by his son Humbert, and peace has reigned in the land for several years. The Pope still resides in Rome, but has no jurisdiction except within what is known to Italy as the "Leonine City." Parliamentary Government has been accorded in the fullest degree.
SAN MARINO. A small "Republic" in the hills near Rimini, on the Adriatic, founded, it is stated, by a pious mason of Dalmatia in the 4th century, and governed by a Council of 60 (20 each, nobles, townsmen, and peasants), of whom two act jointly as Regents. The area is 33 sq. m., the population 8000. There is an "army" commanded by several "generals." The village of San Marino (pop. 1500) occupies the slope of Mount Titan, and has a castle, fortified by King Berengar of Lombardy, a fine church, and a theatre. Agriculture and viticulture flourish. By a treaty concluded in 1872 the Republic has placed itself under the protection of Italy. SPAIN,
King-Alfonso XIII., son of Alfonso XII. and of Queen Maria Christina, b. 17 May 1886 (after the death of his father, 25 Nov. 1885). Regent-Queen Maria Christina, Archduchess of Austria, widow of King Alfonso XII., and mother of the King; b. 21 July 1858; sworn in as Regent 26 Nov. 1885. Heiress Presumptive- The Infanta Dona Maria de las Mercedes (Princess of Asturias), b. II September, Ferdinand V Charles I Philip II Philip III.
Philip IV.
Charles II Philip V..
Ferdinand VI