Garibaldi and His Memory Today: A Hero Who Does Not Fit into Any Ideology

On July 4, 1807, in Nice, in the family of a hereditary sailor, a man was born who was destined to change the map of Europe. Giuseppe Garibaldi — a national hero of Italy, a legend whose name has become a symbol of the struggle for freedom and unification. However, today, almost a century and a half after his death, the memory of Garibaldi has become a field of ideological battles. He is claimed by fascists, communists, and liberals alike. But Garibaldi himself does not fit into any of these frameworks. He remains a figure that simultaneously defines and transcends Italian identity.

From Sailor to Hero of Two Worlds

Giuseppe Garibaldi was born on July 4, 1807. From an early age, he knew the sea: he began his independent life as a cabin boy and then served in the Sardinian navy. In 1833, his schooner arrived in the Russian Taganrog, where he had a fateful encounter with the political exile Giovanni Battista Cuneo. Garibaldi joined the secret society "Young Italy," which aimed to liberate the north of the country from Austrian rule and unite Italy on a republican basis.

In 1834, he participated in the unsuccessful Savoy expedition of the Mazzinists, after which he was sentenced to death in absentia by the Genoa court. He began a period of long wanderings: France, Tunisia, and then — South America. From 1836 to 1848, Garibaldi fought for the independence of republics in Brazil and Uruguay. It was there that he developed his "signature style" — the red shirt, which later became a symbol of liberation movements worldwide.

Returning to Italy, he led the struggle for the unification of the country. His famous expedition "The Thousand" in 1860 led to the liberation of Sicily and Naples, which became a decisive step in the creation of a single Italian state. Historian A.J.P. Taylor called him "the greatest general Italy has ever given." However, despite all this, Garibaldi remained an outsider: he was outplayed in politics by Count Cavour, Prime Minister of Piedmont, who, despite all Garibaldi's merits, yielded his beloved native city of Nice to France.

A Hero Who Does Not Fit into Ideological Stereotypes

One of the main reasons why the memory of Garibaldi remains so controversial is his ideological elusive nature. He was a revolutionary democrat, a socialist, an internationalist, but at the same time, his image was used by the most diverse political forces. "Fascists, communists, and liberals declared him a harbinger of their ideas." In 1932, under the fascist regime, his 50th anniversary of death was celebrated with great pomp. Mussolini referred to his national resolve as a precursor to fascism. At the same time, left-wing forces claimed him for his struggle for equality and anticlericalism. Antifascist Garibaldians-volunteers heroically fought against Italian fascist troops in the Spanish Civil War.

In Russia, his name long associated with communist ideas, while in Italy, partly with fascism. As one study accurately noted: "Garibaldi and his history often become a prism through which various factions try to assert their views of Italian history and society."

Memory in Stone, on the Map, and at Sea

Despite ideological disputes, the material memory of Garibaldi is preserved worldwide. In Italy, his name is on streets and squares in every city. The aircraft carrier, launched in 1985 and serving as the flagship of the Italian navy, is called "Giuseppe Garibaldi."

Monuments to the hero have been established in different countries. In the Italian city of La Spezia, there is a large bronze monument. In Moscow, there is a street named after Garibaldi. In Taganrog, where he had a fateful encounter with Cuneo, a monument to the Italian revolutionary was erected in 1961. In this city, there is the Risorgimento Museum, where the painting "Giuseppe Garibaldi Enters the Secret Society 'Young Italy' in Taganrog" is stored.

On the island of Caprera, where Garibaldi spent the last years of his life, his house-museum has been preserved. It is there that archival research of his personal diaries is conducted, including agricultural records that portray him not only as a warrior but also as a practical manager concerned about the land and his community. His will, stored in the State Archive of Rome, is a key document for understanding his civil and political worldview.

Modern Ceremonies: A Living Tradition

The memory of Garibaldi is also maintained today through living ceremonies. Every year on August 2 in Cesenatico (Emilia-Romagna), a traditional festival in his honor is held with a parade of "Garibaldians." In 2026, commemorations of the 166th anniversary of the departure of "The Thousand" from Genoa took place. In Fiesole, the 120th anniversary of the monument to the encounter between Garibaldi and Victor Emmanuel in Teano was marked. And on July 4, 2026, in Nice, his hometown, an official ceremony was held at his statue.

All this indicates that Garibaldi remains a living symbol. Even those who dispute his political legacy cannot ignore his place in national history.

Enduring Attractiveness and Its Causes

Why was Garibaldi so popular not only in Italy but also worldwide among people with such different, often polar political views? Perhaps because he was not just a politician or a general. He was a man who turned ideals into action. He did not seek power, he sought justice. As Che Guevara noted, he was "the only hero the world needs."

Garibaldi does not fit into the Procrustean bed of modern ideologies. He was too complex, too contradictory, too human. Therefore, each era and each political camp creates its own Garibaldi — in its own image and likeness. But the true Garibaldi remains elusive. He lives not in ideological manifestos, but in red shirts, in the names of streets and ships, in annual festivals, and in the hearts of those who still believe that one person can change the world.

Permanent link to this publication: