Sardinia Island had a culture of mountain banditry. In the eyes of the islanders, these so-called bandits were heroes who robbed the rich to aid the poor, so brigandage ran rampant.
Every year, the Piedmont government spent vast sums of money and effort suppressing the mountain bandits, yet the officers sent from the mainland often appropriated the local soldiers' military merits and compensation.
The soldiers were full of grievances, yet had nowhere to appeal, because the local judges were likewise appointed by the Piedmont government. Even the language spoken by the Sardinia Islanders differed from that of the Piedmontese.
Religious divisions were just as immense. Though both Sardinia Island and mainland Sardinia followed the Catholic Church, Turin also wished to imitate the great powers and control religion.
Yet it lacked sufficient strength and capability, and wound up shooting itself in the foot. Turin's influence in religious affairs became even weaker than that of the Holy See in Rome.
It was precisely because of this that several missionaries from Rome could organize a rebellion on such a vast scale.
In truth, the Holy See's influence over Sardinia Island at this time was astonishing, while Franz's influence within the Holy See was even more astonishing.
Churches and clergy participating in politics had never been uncommon in European history; even at this point in the nineteenth century, it remained exceedingly widespread.
However, cases of such brazen subversive activity were indeed rare, for what they themselves relied upon was doctrine and order.
Yet, as mentioned earlier, the Kingdom of Sardinia had in fact intended to establish a state religion. Friction with the Holy See was inevitable, especially in the Holy See's very stronghold.
Together with the matter involving Pius IX earlier, relations between the Holy See and the Sardinian government had already deteriorated to