Roman, Italy & The Papal States

A people from the Italian Peninsula who created the Roman Empire who for a number of centuries controlled the Mediterranean parts of the Middle East and most of Western Europe. They also took in an earlier people that lived in the north of Italy called the Etruscans. The Romans effectively took over not just the Italian peninsulas, but the surrounding Islands, North Africa, the western Middle East, and the whole of Western Europe as far as the borders of Scotland in the north, and the far side of the River Rhine. Their empire was the largest in Europe at least at that time. Eventually, constant political turmoil and invasions by 'barbarian' tribes of Germanic peoples and the Huns devastated their holdings. This led to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, leaving the Eastern Roman Empire still standing. The latter still survives and controls a far lesser amount of land, and controlled parts of the peninsula for a time. 
The Germanic tribe of the Lombards had seized northern Italy as far as north of Rome. Only in the past 50 odd years have the Franks entered into conflict with the Lombards, and kicked the latter out of power in this region. The land has been handed back to the Papacy who now control northern & central Italy creating the Papal States, while the rest of the peninsula is still under Lombard rule. 
The Papal States are trying now to curry more favour with the Christian rulers of Europe to stay as a major player in Europe, at least behind the thrones of many. The Franks are their biggest supporters, who see it as mutually beneficial to their own power.

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