LEGAZIONI. - Supreme Pontiff Clement XI (1701-21), in the reorganization of the State, which he undertook despite the very serious events by which it
The title of legate had, as is well known, multiple meanings, and already De Luca, in his work Il cardinale pratico, made these differences quite clear. As for the attribution of this title to cardinals sent by the supreme pontiffs into their territories with important functions of government, there is already an example in the Costituzioni Egidiane in the 14th century, so that Clemente XI revived a title that was already in use in the Church. The cardinal-legates received from the pontiff the charge of governing their legation, with the exception of that of Velletri, of which the respective prelate was a legate-born (legato-nato). In their hands was concentrated the sum of political and administrative powers, and in certain cases the pope also conferred upon them special authorities, such as, for example, that of creating palatine counts and knights of the golden militia. Generally speaking, the cardinal-legates provided for the appointment of the heads of the administration of the municipalities, except in those cases where the pontiff provided for it directly; however, the legate's opinion was always consulted. To the latter also fell the initial appointment of the municipal councils, which were subsequently renewed by one-third through an election conducted by the councilors themselves, according to ancient medieval practice.
The legation, like the other pontifical provinces, was divided into districts headed by governors. This administrative district was generally very vast: thus the territory of the legation of Ferrara was divided into only the two districts of Ferrara and Lugo. Subordinate to the governor were the major municipalities, governed, as head, by a gonfaloniere, and the minor ones governed by a prior, and likewise the appodiati.
The cardinal-legate was assisted in his governance by a "congregation," composed of four lay consultors appointed by the supreme pontiff, with particular competence in financial matters. The legate could then consult the congregation on any other matter. There was also, after the Restoration, a provincial council in each legation. The members of this council were appointed by the pontiff, who selected them from lists of three candidates proposed through an indirect election by the municipal councils. The council was convened by the legate once a year for a session lasting a few days, with the task of examining the provincial budget and determining the allocation of the expenses borne by the municipalities. It then appointed an administrative commission that oversaw revenue collections and expenditure.
Not infrequently, cardinal-legates had themselves assisted in certain matters by persons of their trust. Thus it happened that Msgr. Braschi, who later became pope under the name of Pio VI, while in Ravenna and Ferrara, gave Ignazio Boncompagni the task of promoting land reclamation in those territories; and when he was later elevated to the purple and entrusted by the Supreme Pontiff with the legation of Bologna, he deputed the same Boncompagni to draw up a plan of bold reforms for the rather antiquated administrative system of the city—a project, however, that was not implemented.
The papacy lost the legations in the Napoleonic period, even before losing the entire State, which occurred in 1809 by an act of violence by the Emperor. With the Restoration, the ancient organization of the provinces was largely reestablished, but municipal exemptions were abolished and an effort was made to imitate the system of centralization of powers instituted by Napoleon: which, after all, occurred in the other Italian states as well. It was inevitable that this line of conduct would generate discontent and be one of the many causes of unrest in certain regions of the Papal States in the period 1825–31. The cardinal-legates frequently found themselves in very difficult conditions, all the more so because some among them were not, by their very previous career, prepared for such a vast and arduous task, and gave free rein to subordinates who were at times unscrupulous. Not a few, however, knew on the contrary how to earn the affection and gratitude of the populations they administered, such as Cardinals Opizzoni, Amat di S. Filippo, Spina, Malvasia, Arezzo, and others whose merits were recognized even by writers who nonetheless strongly criticized the system of government of the Papal States in the period preceding the revolution of 1848–49. In addition to internal difficulties, after the revolutionary outbreak of 1831 there were also the conflicts between Austria and France, which led to the occupation of the legations of Ferrara and Bologna by the former and of the Marche by the latter. The memorandum sent to the supreme pontiff Gregorio XVI by the powers after those events denounced shortcomings in administration and in the administration of justice, calling for reforms in these areas and broad autonomy in municipal government. Several were implemented, and the government of the legations was thus entrusted for a few years to laymen, but then there was a return to the status quo ante, which endured almost unaltered—despite the demands contained in the so-called "Rimini manifesto" drawn up in 1845 by L. C. Farini—until the upheavals of the years 1848–49; the reforms were later resumed and perfected by Pio IX between 1850 and 1859, after which the legations became part of the new Kingdom of Italy (1861).