Mortara Affair

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I recently read about the Mortara case, and it seems strange to me that it should be so unknown, despite the understanding that it was a catalyst for the Italian Unification.

In essence:
>1857
>Jewish family in the Papal States employs a local Catholic maid
>said maid secretly baptized one of the sons of the family during a period of grave illness, and would happen to divulge the details to several people
>the rumors ended up reaching the ears of the Holy Office, who considered the child to be Christian; the order is given for the boy to be taken from his family forcefully, and raised a Christian
>massive controversy erupts, most European nations recognize the Papacy for the anachronism it really is
>French Emperor Napoloen III - protector of the Papal States - was so filled with distaste at the Church's role that he began supporting Italian Unification (i.e. and the dismantling of the Papal States)
>the Church refuses to return the child

What I find laughable is how ridiculous the Catholic propaganda was during the Mortara case: the Church alleged that the child, Edgardo Mortara, had immediately accepted the Catholic faith and wished for his family to convert so as to save them for Hell, as well as an account of him learning the entire Catechism of the Church in a few days due to his piety (whereas every other non-Catholic account tells of a crying boy who screamed and yelled to be let back with his family). Sounds like North Korean propaganda in just how absurd it is.

But I think this affair might have given rise to more anti-clerical/anti-Catholic feeling than is assumed.