Behind the hero, the iconic red shirt and the myths of the Risorgimento, lies a surprisingly contemporary figure. This book, an unpublished portrait of Giuseppe Garibaldi, invites us to observe him up close, shifting the focus from his epic deeds to his everyday life, from the battlefields to Caprera – the place Garibaldi chose not as an escape from the world, but as the operational centre of his thought and action. Caprera is not a retreat, but a laboratory – agricultural, political, and human. Here the General experiments, builds a model farm, imports cutting-edge machinery, constructs one of the most innovative mills of the time, sows, grows, and plants fourteen thousand vines. Caprera is his buen retiro, a special space from which to observe the world and continue to influence it. He emerges as a figure far removed from the stereotypes: a man of passions, mistakes, desires, and deep friendships with women – for the General, women are the driving force of social transformation. He's a cosmopolitan, visionary man, already looking towards the century to come. This book tells the story of the other Garibaldi – perhaps the most authentic one.

VIRMAN CUSENZA
　　is a journalist who has served as editor-in-chief of Il Mattino and Il Messaggero. Hired by Indro Montanelli at il Giornale, he covered major judicial investigations before specialising as a political commentator. In 2007 he worked for "The Independent" in London. With Mondadori, he published Giocatori d'azzardo. Storia di Enzo Paroli, l'antifascista che salvò il giornalista di Mussolini (2022).