Spent 32 years on a desert island: the incredible story of Italian Robinson Crusoe and why he was forced to return to civilization

Throughout his life, Mauro Morandi, who has been called the Italian Robinson Crusoe, has been the inspiration for books, songs, and documentaries. The fact is that at a fairly young age, the man made a unique decision for himself: to abandon comfortable, modern conditions and move to a desert island.

According to The New York Times, the Italian settled on the island of Budelli, located near Sardinia. He lived in absolute solitude for 32 years until he was forced to return to civilization.

Mauro Morandi was born on February 12, 1939. After completing his education, he worked as a high school physical education teacher. Over time, the Italian even tied the knot with his beloved woman, who gave birth to three children. At some point, however, their feelings cracked, and the marriage ended.

The Italian Robinson Crusoe had a pretty good life in civilization, but it seems that his heart wanted something else. In 1989, Mauro Morandi moved to the deserted island of Budelli because he was fascinated by its incredible beauty. Since he lived on an uninhabited piece of land, he had no access to running water or electricity. Mauro Morandi lived in an abandoned hut from the Second World War.

Sometimes the Italian had to leave his place of residence and travel to a big city. During these short trips, he bought a lot of books and other necessary things.

"I read and think a lot. I think that a lot of people are afraid to read because if they start to do so, they will try to meditate and think about different things, and this can be dangerous. If you start to see things from a different angle and be critical of them, you will end up seeing what a miserable life you have," the man said in an interview.

Interestingly, Mauro Morandi had modern technology on the island, such as a cell phone and a tablet. He charged his gadgets using a car battery and solar energy. The Italian saw his main task as protecting Budelli from ill-mannered tourists. He led vacationers along special paths and told interesting stories about the island. The man also removed garbage from the beach and carried out certain types of maintenance.

However, in 2021, Mauro Moranda had to leave his beloved Budelli. The fact is that the ownership of the island was transferred to the state, and the territory became part of the Maddalena Archipelago National Park. At first, the Italian Robinson Crusoe did not agree to leave the desert island. He campaigned against his eviction on social media and gave hundreds of interviews. However, after 5 years of litigation, he gave up.

"I hope that in the future, Budelli will be protected as well as I have been for 32 years," he wrote on Facebook.

Unfortunately, Mauro Morandi's life was cut short on January 3 at the age of 85. The cause of death was a cerebral hemorrhage.

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