The Empire of Italia - Fact Book

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The Empire of Italia -

Formed from a dispute between the Hapsburg and Spanish Empires in the early middle years of 1800's.   In 1832 the Empire of Italia was fromed as a way of ending years of bloody stalemate over the contested Italian territories.

Religion-  The predominant Religion of the Empire of Italia is Catholisism.  There are small pockets of other religions predominantly Jewish and Protestant sects withing Italia itself.   Italia also controls a large population of Muslims within its annexed territories.  Due to the expansion of the Empire into area of North and East Africa with little  or no Chrisitian Populations the Empire has officially embraced the Old Roman tradition of Religious Toleration.   The Empire has fully supported the Edict of Nantes but has expanded the freedom of religion to those of Protestant, Muslim, and Jewish sects.  In essence while Catholisism is the State Religion of Italia proper other religions as long as they are practiced peacefully are tolerated.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edict_of_Nantes

Form of Government -  Italia is an Empire with a form of the old Republician Senate added almost as an after thought in the creation of the State.  The Emperor proposes legislation through his chosen Senators and with few exceptions they are approved by the Senate.   

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After the Austro-Spanish wars over northern Italy (which ended with the Rome Peace Accord of 1843), the remaining Italian states, sick of foreign hegemony and vicious infighting between what were comparatively tiny states, made the first tentative steps towards unification. Some proposed unification on the grounds of re-creating the Roman Empire of old, others for economic and militarial union. Naturally, the larger states wanted unification to happen sooner, whilst the smaller kingdoms vociferously resisted the notion of losing their independence. Some states fought for unification, others against. There were popular uprisings against governments in many states, where either nationalists or unionists disagreed with their nation's policy. Bitter fighting ensued.

Following the Carbonari, Sicilian and Piedmont insurrections of 1845-1847, the Treaty of Trento (ratified in all states between October 21st and November 3rd, 1847) effectively established an external union. Foreign affairs and defence against the outside world were to be pooled, whilst internal defence and affairs remained the remit of nation states. This was a transitional phase, scheduled to last until the Congresso su unificazione dell'Italia, which met from January 12th to February 4th, 1848. The Statute of union, passed  simultaneously by the delegates of all nations, upheld the external union until full union. The King of Sardinia, Vittorio Emmanuele II, was chosen following a vote to be the new king of Italy. It was decided that the new union should come into being on the King's birthday, April 6th, 1848. To compensate for their loss of kingdoms, the remaining monarchs were given princely titles and became members of the Italian royal family (regardless of their connections with Vittorio Emmanuele).

Several of the Italian states had established colonies and these became colonies of the new Italian kingdom. Uruguay and the Novo Lipari islands in the Atlantic and Burundi in East Africa were the principle colonies. At the Berlin conference of 1883, Italy gained Eritrea in East Africa and Libya in North Africa.

Since then, Italy has gone from strength to strength.