Italian 'Robinson Crusoe' Dies at 85 After 32 Years of Solitude on Budelli Island
Mauro Morandi, who lived in isolation as the caretaker of Budelli Island for over three decades, passed away three years after being evicted and returning to urban life.
- Mauro Morandi, nicknamed 'Robinson Crusoe,' lived alone on Budelli Island in the Mediterranean for 32 years after his catamaran shipwrecked there in 1989.
- Disillusioned with modern consumerism, he became the island's caretaker, maintaining its beaches, educating visitors about its ecosystem, and living off the grid with solar power and minimal resources.
- In 2021, Morandi was evicted by La Maddalena National Park authorities, who planned to repurpose the island as an environmental education hub.
- After leaving Budelli, Morandi struggled to adapt to urban life, describing it as noisy and chaotic compared to the silence of the island.
- He passed away at 85 in Modena, northern Italy, after spending his final years in a care home following a decline in health.
Hindustan Times 
NDTV 
