Following the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) the House of Habsburg directly controls the Kingdom of Naples, the Duchy of Milan and the Kingdom of Sardinia, while the Savoy were on Piedmont and Sicily.

During the 1730s Italy witnessed a revival of the economy which was confirmed in the following decades: in fact, Austria was ruled by smart kings, who introduced in the Italian territories, particularly in the current Lombardy, Trentino, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto, economic reforms benefit to the development of those lands.

The 700 is also the century of Enlightenment, born in England and later in Italy where he had grown to feel their cultural benefits especially in Parma, Naples and Sicily.

At the end of the century appeared instead on the political life Napoleon Bonaparte that as early as 1796, commanded the campaign of Italy, aiming to conquer the territories of Northern Italy away from the Austrian rule.

Easily freed of the Savoy, Napoleon began his march into Italy, and on May 15, 1796 entered Milan welcomed as liberator. The French general then rejected the latest counter-offences by the Austrians inLombardy and continued to advance Veneto (1797), where, however, could not prevail.

Italy was now in a state of fragmentation and only Napoleon, with varying fortunes, first assumed the title of President of the Italian Republic (all the territories that formed as a result of his action), then, simultaneously with his appointment as emperor of the French (1804), that of King of Italy.

In 1808, Napoleon managed to conquer the Kingdom of Naples and to attach to the Kingdom of Italy that of Tuscany and Marche. In 1809 he conquered Rome, and sent into exile the Pope in 1811, following the failed invasion of Russia, the star of Napoleon begins to blur, its own allies betrayed him and in 1814, after being defeated in Paris, was sent into exile on the island of Elba.