The solemn beatification of Pope Pius IX in September 2000 celebrated the heroic virtue of one of the most influential figures of the nineteenth century. Born in 1792, Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti was elected Pope on June 16th 1846. His pontificate, the subject of this biographical study, lasted thirty-two years, the longest after that of St Peter himself. Elevated to the Papacy amid the historical backdrop of turmoil and revolution in Italy and Europe, he was also to play a central role in the drama of the Risorgimento that led to the creation of a united Italy. Publication of the English translation of Roberto de Mattei's acclaimed study of Pius IX marks the 150th anniversary of the Pope's solemn definition of the Dogma of Our Lady's Immaculate Conception. Roberto de Mattei holds the chair of Modern History at the University of Cassino (Rome), is vice president of the Italian C.N.R. (National Council for Research) and is well-known in Italy as a journalist and writer.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1875. The publishing house Anatiposi publishes historical books as reprints. Due to their age, these books may have missing pages or inferior quality. Our aim is to preserve these books and make them available to the public so that they do not get lost.

Owen Chadwick analyzes the causes and consequences of the end of the historic Papal State, exploring pressures on old Rome from Italy and across Europe, which caused popes to resist the world rather than to try to influence it.