Rotonda dei Mille recalls the achievements of Garibaldi

The statue of Garibaldi
in Rotonda dei Mille

Bergamo is proud to call itself Città dei Mille in memory of the young men from the city who accepted Giuseppe Garibaldi’s invitation to help him unite Italy.

A statue of Garibaldi, who died 130 years ago today, stands on top of a marble column in the centre of Rotonda dei Mille in the Città Bassa (lower town), where five roads converge.

Garibaldi entered Bergamo in June 1859, where he was received with great enthusiasm. He invited the young Bergamaschi to volunteer for his Sicilian expedition and many young men accepted his invitation, earning Bergamo the title of Città dei Mille.

They helped Garibaldi win control of Sicily in the name of Vittorio Emanuele II. From there he crossed the Strait of Messina and marched north through Italy. He met the new king on 26 October 1860, shook his hand and then retired to live on the island of Caprera, off the coast of Sardinia. This was where he eventually died on 2 June, 1882, at the age of 74.


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