Overview

• 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.