Nestling among green Mediterranean maquis dotted with granite rocks, surrounded by the crystal clear waters of the La Maddalena archipelago, the Garibaldi Museum is one of Sardinia’s most evocative sites. With his deep love of nature, this was the place where the General set up his own farm and built the home where he would live until his death.
The Hero of Two Worlds purchased a portion of the site in late 1855. He settled here, beginning the first buildings the following year. The profound change he made to the area may be seen today in the contrast between the Mediterranean scrubland rich in strawberry trees, myrtle, and juniper, and the reclaimed and cultivated areas. Garibaldi’s dedication to agriculture was well-known in the latter part of the 19th century. Admirers and patriots from all over Italy donated plants and seeds to Caprera. A garden, an olive grove, a citrus grove and an innovative system of wells for water supply and land drainage were added over the years. Monumental trees are associated with Garibaldi’s private life and agricultural work: a domestic pine planted in the farm courtyard commemorates the birth of Garibaldi’s daughter, Clelia, in 1867 (photo); the Mexico cypress just outside the room where Garibaldi died on 2 June 1882; a pine erroneously named the “ash pine”, because of the legend that Garibaldi wanted to be cremated under it – a tree that, over the last hundred years, has evocatively reclined on the rocks, still very much alive.
