Vincenzo Gioberti's ideas concerning church-mediated Italian federation are influential among the clergy and most Catholic intellectuals.

Cesare Balbo, Niccolò Tommaseo, and Antonio Rosmini-Serbati advance, under different formulations, this new papalist movement.

In Delle speranze d'Italia, Balbo shows the anti-revolutionary nature of his patriotism and liberalism.

He writes that the independence of Italy from Austria is desirable, but Austria should be compensated with territory in the Balkans; that the interests of the papacy should be safeguarded; and that a confederation might be the best political organization for Italy.