Tra Ancien Régime e Rivoluzione. Filippo Sardi, la Chiesa e lo Stato lucchese (1789-1805)

The Italian Catholic Church’s reaction to the Revolutionary phenomenon was far from uniform. Attitudes to the novel events in France varied between rejection and opposition on the one hand and benevolent acceptance on the other although there were also important attempts at mediation. The pastoral activities of Filippo Sardi, Archbishop of Lucca, should be seen in this latter category. Having realised that the political position of the revolutionary class of Lucca was far from radically anti-Christian but could be encompassed by the .royalist. tradition of the previous aristocratic Republic, Sardi skilfully used an alternation of clear statements of principle and dialogue with a view to establishing a modus vivendi which, without indulging in the elaboration of a ≪democratic theology≫, would allow the Christian believers of Lucca to be both Catholics and citizens at the same time.