What 1929 treaty established Vatican City as an independent state?

What 1929 treaty established Vatican City as an independent state? The answer is the Lateran Treaty.

The Lateran Treaty was signed on 11 February 1929 by the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See. It recognized Vatican City as an independent state under the sovereignty of the Holy See, ending the long-running “Roman Question” over the pope’s territorial and political status.

The dispute began after Italy captured Rome in 1870 and absorbed the remaining Papal States. For decades, the popes regarded themselves as “prisoners in the Vatican,” rejecting Italy’s offer of limited guarantees. The Lateran settlement restored a territorial base for the papacy and established diplomatic relations between Italy and the Holy See.

Strictly speaking, the Lateran Treaty was one part of the wider Lateran Pacts. Those agreements also included a financial convention and a concordat regulating church–state relations. The treaty was signed in February but took effect on 7 June 1929, a date sometimes confused with its signing date.