2 – MONUMENT TO GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI (ENG)

The monument to Garibaldi is a Carrara marble statue located next to the Theatre of the Spirited.

Ariodante Casoni and Giuseppe Peglini donated the marble, and the sculptor from Carrara, Carlo Nicoli, offered to create the work free of charge. The monument was inaugurated on October 27, 1889, the same year as those in Livorno and Lucca.

The sculpture is placed on a tall cylindrical pedestal, adorned with a series of fasces and garlands, designed by architect Perusi. The statue depicts Garibaldi in the act of landing in Marsala, with his saber raised high as he addresses his men, urging them forward.

The revolutionary stance that permeates the sculpture, following an iconography not particularly widespread in Italy, sparked mixed reactions. However, it gained the approval of Garibaldi’s veterans, whose memory of their beloved general was still vivid.