Principality of Benevento (Napoleonic era) explained

Conventional Long Name:Principality of Benevento
Symbol:House of Talleyrand-Périgord#House_of_Talleyrand-Périgord
Era:Napoleonic Wars
Status:Client state
Empire:First French Empire
Government Type:Monarchy
Leader Title1:Prince
Leader Name1:Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1806–1815)
Year Start:1806
Year End:1815
Event Start:Creation
Date Start:28 August
Event End:Restored to papal control
Date End:28 August
P1:Papal States
Flag P1:Flag of the Papal States (pre 1808).svg
S1:Papal States
Flag S1:Flag of the Papal States (1808-1870).svg
Image Map Caption:Italy in 1815
Capital:Benevento

The Principality of Benevento was a principality in Italy created by Napoleon after he became King of Italy in 1805. Its territory mostly coincided with that of the Duchy of Benevento, a papal enclave within the Kingdom of Naples. In addition to the capital city of Benevento, it included a contado subdivided into 12 centers: Sant'Angelo a Cupolo, Motta, Panelli, Pastene, Maccabei, Bagnara, Montorso, Maccoli, Perillo, Sciarra, San Leucio del Sannio, San Marco ai Monti.

The principality was created by Napoleon for his chief diplomat Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord. It was nominally sovereign, but the prince did have to take an oath to the king.

The principality was short-lived. Talleyrand was never to settle down and actually rule his new principality. In 1815, after the Napoleonic Wars, the town was ceded back to the Papal States.

In 1860, it joined Pontecorvo, the other southern Italian papal exclave, in being united with the new Kingdom of Italy.

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