The Viva Maria was one of the anti-French movements, known collectively as the Sanfedisti, which arose in Italy between 1799 and 1800; it was motivated as much by hunger amongst the peasants as by anti-French sentiment. It operated above all in the town of

Arezzo Arezzo ( , ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the Province of Arezzo, province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of Above mean sea level, above sea level. As of 2 ...

and the rest of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, but also in the neighboring territories of the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...

. Their rallying cry was the Marian hymn '' Evviva Maria'' from which they had their name.

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