 As the war turned against the Austrians, the garrison in Bologna left early in the morning on 12 June 1859. By the end of the same day the papal colours flying in the squares had been replaced with the Italian green, white and red, the cardinal legate had left the city, and a group styling itself Bologna's provisional government had proclaimed its desire to join the Kingdom of Sardinia. Bologna was promptly incorporated as part of the province of Romagna. The Archbishop Michele Viale-Prelà attempted to persuade the citizenry not to co-operate with the new civil authorities, but had little success. One of the new order's first official acts was to introduce freedom of religion and make all citizens equal before the law. In November 1859 the governor Luigi Carlo Farini issued a proclamation abolishing the inquisition.
