I want to ask a question.
Could Papal States unite Italy when it does have a peak chance some time after HRE's ouster of Italy? I expect that Papal States would focus on annexing northern Italy first before persuading Spain to give her territories into Papal control himself. Is that possible? I would like to know. I personally think that if most of Italy is under HRE, Frankish, or Lombard i don't think Papal States might have a chance of uniting Italy or else it might be something unknown would happen to it.
If it could, how Papal Italy would work in inter-European relations and how massive butterfly effects will be?