We are not meant to live apart from others, but this man has demonstrated the opposite. Mauro Morandi, 78, has been living alone on the largely uninhabited Italian island Budelli for nearly 30 years. Mauro was sailing around with his boat Catamaran 28 years ago. He was carried ashore to an island after the boat broke down, where he decided to make his home. When Mauro arrived on Budelli Island in 1989, he discovered that the island’s caretaker was retiring.
Because his boat, the Catamaran, was already old, he felt it was his destiny to become the new caretaker and change the course of his life. He had no idea that he would never leave his newfound home again. Mauro Morandi enjoys his life on Budelli island despite the fact that he is the only person who lives there. Mauro fell instantly in love with the island, which he compares to a paradise.
Budelli Island is one of seven beautiful islands in the Maddalena Archipelago National Park, located between Sardinia and Corsica. It’s no surprise that Mauro fell in love with the location at first sight. Every year, a small number of tourists visit the island. As a result, for the majority of the year, Mauro is the only human on the island. “What I like best about the island is the silence,” Mauro told National Geographic.
It is quiet in the winter when there is no storm and no one is around, and it is also quiet after sunset in the summer. From his front porch, Mauro waved his hand in the direction of the tourist boat. Despite living alone, he has never felt lonely because he is always surrounded by animals. However, Mauro’s peaceful life on Budelli Island was jeopardized when the Italian government challenged his right to remain there in 2016.
An impending eviction from the island was postponed to an as-yet-undetermined date after a petition against it garnered more than 18,000 signatures.
Mauro is determined to live on the island for the rest of his life, and he stated: “I will not go… I want to die here, have my body cremated, and my ashes scattered in the air.” Mauro collects Juniper tree branches and carves them into artwork in his spare time.
He enjoys living on the island with other animals, despite the fact that he has no one with whom to share his incredible life stories. He sells his wood works to island visitors and donates the proceeds to charity organizations in Africa and Tibet. He also enjoys meditating, reading, and honing his photography skills. When Mauro is connected to the outside world, his life may undergo some changes.
It is rumored that an Internet service provider intends to bring a wireless network to the island. Mauro was pleased with this new development because it allows more people from all over the world to see and appreciate his fortress residence. “When you are completely in love with someone, you see her as very beautiful, but it is not only her outer beauty that you appreciate… you also understand her and feel empathy…”
“It’s the same with nature,” he said. “We always think we’re great and can conquer the world, but in reality, we’re just like tiny ants.” Mauro intends to spend the rest of his life on the island where he has lived for nearly three decades. Budelli Island, he truly believes, is a beautiful place.