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Prisoner of the Vatican : The Popes, the Kings, and Garibaldi's Rebels in the Struggle to Rule Modern Italy
Prisoner of the Vatican The Popes the Kings and Garibaldi's Rebels in the Struggle to Rule Modern Italy Author:David I Kertzer David Kertzer"s absorbing history presents an astonishing account — of the birth of modern Italy and the clandestine politics behind the — Vatican"s last stand in the battle between church and the newly created — Italian state. Taking advantage of a wealth of secret documents long — buried in the Vatican archives, Prisoner of the Vatican begins by l... more »ooking
at the embattled Pius IX. When Italy"s armies seized the Holy City
and claimed it for the Italian capital, the pope, outraged, retreated to
the Vatican and declared himself a prisoner, calling on foreign powers
to force the Italians out of Rome. The action set in motion decades of
political intrigues, little known until now, that hinged on such fascinating
characters as Garibaldi, Napoleon III, and Chancellor Bismarck.
No one who reads this eye-opening book will ever think of Italy, or the