Mauro Morandi, Hermit of Italy's Budelli Island, Dies at 85
Morandi, who lived in solitude on the Mediterranean island for over 30 years, passed away three years after being evicted and returning to mainland life.
- Mauro Morandi, known as the 'Robinson Crusoe' of Italy, lived alone on Budelli Island off Sardinia for 32 years after his catamaran broke down in 1989.
- He became the island's caretaker, maintaining its beaches and educating visitors about its ecosystem while living in a repurposed WWII shelter with homemade solar power.
- In 2021, Italian authorities evicted Morandi to transform Budelli into an environmental education center, forcing him to relocate to a nearby apartment on La Maddalena.
- Morandi struggled to adapt to life away from Budelli but later found comfort in modern amenities and a quieter life in his final years.
- He passed away in Modena, northern Italy, after health complications, with friends vowing to scatter his ashes at sea in tribute to his decades of solitude and environmental stewardship.
CNN 
The Guardian 