ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the history of various Italian states and territories in modern period and examines the recent studies of Philip II. Geoffrey Parker emphasizes the centrality of Italy for the Spanish empire and Philips imperial strategies. The Genoese navy supported all of Philip's campaigns in the Mediterranean, while Genoese bankers supplied much of the cash flow for the entire Spanish empire. Using a combination of force, diplomacy, and bribery, Philip brought most of the Italian states into Spain's geopolitical orbit, and established a remarkably effective 'pax hispanica' in the Italian peninsula. Naples, Sicily, and Milan were integral parts of the Spanish imperial system as military bases, and also plays a critical role in imperial finances. Elizabeth Gleason and John Martin describe how early modern Venice adjusted to or accommodated Spanish power. The recent historiography concerns the relationship between the Spanish Habsburgs and the papacy is marked by strong contrasts and disagreements.
