rome
CNN
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A man who lived without electricity for more than 30 years on a deserted island in the Mediterranean has died at the age of 85, just three years after returning to civilization.
Mauro Morandi was nicknamed Robinson Crusoe by the media after he turned out to be the sole inhabitant of Budelli Island, a World War II refuge off the coast of Sardinia, Italy. He was proud of his solitary life.
Morandi remained on the island as its primary custodian shortly after the catamaran wrecked in 1989 while attempting to sail to Polynesia on a mission to escape consumerism and society at large.
Fortunately, Budelli’s previous hermit caretaker was just retiring, so Morandi took over the job and lived alone for 30 years in a house made of coral, granite, and shells on a picturesque island. I did. He was evicted by Italian authorities in 2021 when the Italian state converted the island into a natural park.
During his 32 years on the island, he kept the beaches clean and educated day-trippers about the island’s ecosystem. As part of his job as caretaker, supplies were brought in, and he built a makeshift solar power system and heated the house with a simple fireplace.
After his eviction, the state moved him to La Maddalena, an archipelago off the coast of Sardinia that is designated a national park, where he lived in a one-bedroom apartment.
“It’s never really over,” Morandi told CNN after leaving the paradise island in 2021. “I’m living proof that a second, new life is possible. Even if you’re over 80, you can always start over. There’s a whole different world, there’s more to experience. .”
He was satisfied with his modern tastes and said that the life after retirement suited him.
“I’m happy and I’ve rediscovered the joy of living a good life and enjoying everyday comforts,” he told CNN.
According to reports in Italian media, Morandi was admitted to a nursing home in Sassari, Sardinia, after a fall last summer. He then moved to his hometown of Modena, a city in northern Italy, where he worked as a physical education teacher until 1989.
He reportedly died in Modena over the weekend after his health deteriorated. His friends paid loving tributes on Facebook and vowed to scatter his ashes at sea.
