Italian Hermit Who Lived Alone on Idyllic Island for 32 Years, Dies 3 Years After Return to World

Mar. 15, 2025

Mauro Morandi.Photo:Mauro Morandi/Facebook

Mauro Morandi/Facebook

The former sole caretaker of the island, 85, passed away in his hometown of Modena, Italy, where he previously worked as a physical education teacher, on Friday, Jan. 3,CNN,The Guardianand Italian outletGiornale della Velareported.

Morandi died after battling health problems including vertebrae injuries sustained in a fall last summer for which he was hospitalized, according to the outlets.  He was later placed in a nursing home in Sardinia, Italy, before moving back to Modena.

Morandi shared in one of his last posts on Facebook that he had been hospitalized in an RSA in the Reggio Emilia area, perGiornale della Vela.

Morandi, nicknamed the Italian Robinson Crusoe, grabbed headlines in 2021 when he moved back into society after taking up sole residence on the island of Budelli for more than three decades. He came across the small island in 1989 when his catamaran broke down while journeying to the South Pacific,The Guardianpreviously reported.

Island of Budelli in Italy.Enrico Spanu/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty

Enrico Spanu/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty

“I have given up the fight,” Morandi toldThe Guardianin 2021. “After 32 years here, I feel very sad to leave. They told me they need to do work on my house and this time it seems to be for real.”

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The state moved Morandi to La Maddalena where he stayed in a one-bedroom apartment.

“I’m the living proof that a second, new life is possible. You can always start all over again, even if you’re over 80, because there are other things you can experience, a totally different world,” Morandi previously told CNN. “I’m happy and I have rediscovered the pleasure of living the good life and enjoying everyday comforts.”

Morandi’s friends plan to scatter his ashes at sea, according to reports.

source: people.com