In 752, Pope Stephen II established the Papal States, a significant political entity in central Italy. This event marked the beginning of the Pope's temporal power, allowing the Church to exert influence over political affairs in Rome and beyond. The formation of the Papal States would shape the political landscape of Italy and the Church's role in European politics for centuries, affecting cultural and literary developments.

The establishment of the Papal States influenced poets like Dante Alighieri, who later wrote about the intertwining of politics and religion in his works. The political authority of the Pope would also inspire themes of power, morality, and divine justice in Renaissance poetry, contributing to the evolution of literary forms and ideas in Italy and beyond.