Linked to the historical events of the mid-19th century, FATTORIA GUICCIOLI in Mandriole is nothing but a farmhouse in the countryside between Casalborsetti and Sant’Alberto, in the area just south of the Lagoons of Comacchio.
The historical event that made it famous is linked to Giuseppe Garibaldi and his escape across Romagna after the fall of the Roman Republic.
In 1849, he wanted to find shelter herealong with his wife Anita, who died on August 4th exhausted by disease and the hardships of the escape.
Anita Garibaldi’s death
A few hours after landing at Punta di Goro, in the Lagoons of Comacchio, Garibaldi and Anita headed inland.
They were followed by the Austrians and with great difficulty they reached Fattoria Guiccioli, hoping to find shelter and a doctor available for Anita, who was pregnant and feverish.
Anita died at 7.45 pm on August 4th 1849, throwing Garibaldi into despair.
The body was simply and quickly buried in the sand, in the nearby Motta della Pastorara, to prevent patrols from discovering their passage.
Six days later, Anita’s body was accidentally discovered by a group of children and transferred to the cemetery of Mandriole.
Every year, on the day of her death, Fattoria Guiccioli hosts a memorial ceremony.
The inside of Fattoria Guiccioli
The building houses a modern exhibition of relics and mementos linked to Garibaldi’s escape in Romagna.
Among these ones, worth mentioning are a copy of Anita’s deathbed (the original one was burnt during the Nazi-Fascist occupation) and two paintings dedicated to her. In addition, just a few hundreds metres away a memorial stone in remembrance of Anita is located on her burial place.
