Following the upheaval in Italy of the war between Piedmont- Sardinia, France, and the Austrian Empire, the National Assembly of Palma and Piacenta voted unanimously on September 11, 1859 to expel the Bourbon dynasty. On this day, the Assembly voted again, also unanimously, inviting Palma and Piacena's annexation by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. A plebiscite was held in March 1860 and the annexation became official in 1861. (By John Osborne)