Chiesa, Religione e Monarchia negli Stati italiani preunitari. Intransigenti e reazionari fra Trono e Altare (1820-1830)

During the first years of the European Restoration, a subtle game of alliances between governments, ultra-catholic currents and reactionary forces took place in Italy. This interaction aimed to repress the progressive demands while strengthening the political power originated from the Congress of Vienna. Thus the governments accommodated intransigent Catholicism with a certain freedom in order to encourage a revived proselytism. This had the main purpose to draw back to a dogmatic form of religion those who had been influenced by subversive trends. On the contrary, the secular response, proposed mainly by the sovereigns, waged a fierce propagandistic battle against the liberals and the moderates. As a consequence, politics and religion became inextricably linked and their respective fields of action encroached upon one another. Hence, politics and religion took advantage of each other in their common ultraconservative intent.