, 1859-05-23
TIE POLITICAL DIV1U0N6 OF
HTALTs


principality Of Piedmont, the duchy Of Savoy,
tho duchy Of Noausrrat the duchy Of Genoo,
the county Of Nice, and the island Of Capraja,
. kingdom, area. 2s, s,22s square miles; NAPLES,
Naples and Sicily, or the Two sicillesn
a kingdom, area 4l,6o6 square miles; STATES
or TEE CHuRcH, an absolute monarchy, area
l7,alo square miles; TrscAsT, (ncluding the
duchy Of Lueca). Grand Duchy {abao'uto
sovcreigntyl area $3.50 square miles; PARMA,
duchy, absolute Sovereignty area 2.77G
square miles; MoDESA, Gncluding the duchy
o. Massa and the principality Of carrara), a
ducby absolute sovereignty area 2,o7s squire
miles. There are also two minute but dis
tinct divisions: the Republic Of San Aarino,
(surrounded by the Papal states1 area ~
square miles; and the principality Of Monaco,
fsurronnded by Sardinia area 53 square miles.
These States embrace total area Of 1886
sluare miles and a population Of over 25,o ,ooo'-
o0o-absent equal to the white population Of
the United States. The course Of events
which hare led to these divisions Of Italian
territory is Little known to the general reader:
In ordinary times the history Of the Peninsula
would make more lumber than an economical
s.llolar could conveniently carry about Attbe
present juncturc, however, a brief conpend Il
modern Italian history will be interesting to
all
In the year 1,5o3, which marks the beginning
ofthe fifth natural epoch in the annals Of Italy,
the peninsula was divided nearly as follows:
Tue house Of Savoy ruled Piedmont; Genoa
aud Venice were republics; the vast duchy Of
Milan Qombardy) WAS held BY France; tho
house Of Este ruled the States Of Ferrara, No
dcna and Reggie; the house Of Gonzaga ruled
the Mantuan, and the Medici the Florentinc
{Tnscan) territories; Central Italy belonged to
the Church; and the Two Sicilies were prov
inces Of Spain under Ferdinand the Catholic. In
1909 powerful alliance Of the Pope, the En-.
peror Ma1imilian, the King Of France and
the King Of Spain, was formed to humble the
pride and power Of Venice. The Venotians,
however, by the arts Of war and diplomacy, es-
caped with a few inconsiderable losses Of ter
ritory-thcir nationality remaining intact.
Tho Emperor Ma1imi1ian, Of Germany, dying
was succeeded by Charles T. who undertook
the task, with the connivance Of Pope Leo <,
Of expel1ing the French from Italy. Two CAM
paings resulted in placing all Italy at the dis
cretion Of the Emperor. A new division fol-
lowed The Duchy Of Milan was wrested from
the French King, Francis L, who rencunced all
claims in Italy. The Pope recovered Ravenna.
The Medici were firmly established with the
Ducal title in Tuscany, and the Duke Of
saroy was re-cstablished in lis states.
In 1547, tile Pope, Paul Ill, detached
the cities Of Parma and Placentia {piaccnza)
from his territories and erected them into i
dukedom for Ills natural son, Luigi Farnesc.
The bad behavior Of Farncse resulted in lis
assassination, whereupon France and Germany
went to war over the succession, and fought
all over Piedmont, Lombardy and a portion Of
Tuscany, with various success. 4 treaty Of
peace was finally arranged leaving both par
| ties yerv nearly in stitn quo. In 1885 the
dukcdom Of Ferrara was voluntarily ccd"l 10
tue Church by Caesar D'Este. This event
came near involving France, Germany and the
| Pope in fresh war. About the year 1920 a
| ferocious war broke out between France and
Venice on the one side, and the Imperial
ists and Spaniards OIL tho other, coll
corning tie succession to the duke
dom Of Mautua. The arrival Of the
great Richclieu upon the scene Of action,
gave turn to affairs which resulted in the
firm establishment Of French power at Susa
| and other places, which would enable them to
make a descent upon any part Of Italy at
pleasure. In l647 remarkable revolution
occurred in Naples, headed by Masaniello, a
fshmonger, which resulted only in the assas-
| ination Of its leadcr at the hands Of the Span.
ish viceroy: Fifty years later came the great
war which ended in the expulsion Of both
Spaniards and French, Louis XIV. from
Italian territory. By the Imperial forces under
Prince Eugene and Victor Amadeus, Duke o
savoy-the quarrel arising over the succession
| to tho Spanish throne made vacant by the deatl
Of Charles H., who deceased without issue
The island Of sardinia, Naples and Mila1
were thus added to the Imperial domiuions
while the States Of Montferrat Alcssandrin'
and a portion Of the adjoining territory. AM
subsequently the Island Of Sicily, were adde's
to the possessions Of Savoy In 1904, how
ever, the young King Of Spain, Philip Y fel
upon the Islands Of Sardinia and Sicily Will
the Emperor Charles II was fighting til
Turks, and possessed himself Of both. Til
Treaty Of Seville followed, By which Sicily WI
placed in the hands Of the Emperor, sardini:
granted to the Duke Of savoy with the title o
King Of Sardinia, and the invcstitu.e ofpar1na
Placentia and Tuscany conferred upon Do
Carlos, son Of the Queen Of Spain. The mex
war (l72D grew out Of this peace. and France
Spain and Sardinia united in driving the Impe
rialists out Of the Two Sicilies and Austria,
Lombardy. Two sanguinary battles (Parn,
and Guastalla) having resulted adversely to til
Emperor, he consented to new peace whic
gave the Two Siciies to Don Carlos, Farm
aud Placentia to himself, Tuscany to the Duk
Of Lorena and Vigevano Tortona and Noyar
to the King Of Sardinia
In 174G, the death Of the Emperor Charlie
T. and the accession Of Maria Theresa wer
the signals to recommencc the devastatio
Of Italy, and rs usual France md Austria wer
pitted against each other. The Empress p1ost
cuted the war vigorously, and not only II
gained all her lost territory, but overran til
country as far Us Genoa This city had dccltl
cd for France, hut opened its gates 10 til
Austriaus without siege. The latter lavin
e1asperated the citizens by their brutality I'll
Gonocse rose, and after a desperate battle
two days drore them out, retaining au thei
baggage and magazines The treaty Of AK
la-ClsapelIc put M end to the slaughter an
so,arranged the boundary lines Of Italy. Til
lnfante Of Spain received Parma and rlaccn
tia; the Ring Of Sardinia took part Of II,
territory Of Paria. and Don Carlos, having be
come King Of spain garo the Two sicilies
his son Ferdinand During the peace whic
followed this treaty the Gcnocse ceded II,
island Of Corsica to France
We now reach another epoch in Italian hi.
; story, to wit, the French Revolution (I79G
| Nnro1ao,, Ropaoortn +1,.n rooou.1 +. f.i,:.r