Europe, including the Italian peninsula, was in the midst of considerable political ferment when the bishop of Imola, Cardinal Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was elected pope.
Eropa, termasuk semenanjung Italia, berada di tengah-tengah pergolakan politik yang cukup besar ketika uskup Spoleto, Kardinal Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, terpilih menjadi paus.