Mauro Morandi, the contemporary Robinson Crusoe, originally from Modena, who lived alone for 32 years on the small island of Budelli, becoming its custodian and living as a hermit, has died.

Many friends and supporters are bidding him farewell today on his Facebook profile, fondly remembering his battle in favor of that island that he protected for years and that he called "his Polynesia ". "May the earth be light on you, your soul will remain forever on the island", we read in the social farewell.

Morandi was 85 years old: a former physical education teacher from Modena, in 1989 he decided to stop in Budelli while he was taking a trip with some friends. But as soon as he set foot there, he fell in love with it and decided to never leave, taking on the role of caretaker.

He was talked about all over the world, especially when, in 2021, he decided to leave Budelli, due to his health conditions, but also due to a long tug of war with the Maddalena Park that had generated petitions and mobilizations.

"This is the real island, which means isolation and far away," he said in an interview with L'Unione Sarda . "Its uncontaminated nature, the pink beach, the fact that it is the only one in the Mediterranean similar to tropical coral reefs, which have a high percentage of calcium carbonate. My goal was Polynesia because I wanted to go and live on a tropical island, but I found Polynesia here ."

His story is told in the book “The Guardian of Budelli – A Long Love Story Between a Man and His Desert Island”, written by Antonio Rinaldis and Morandi himself.

(Online Union)

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