Overview

• 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.