Giuseppe Garibaldi (Hero of the Two Worlds)

Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–1882) is venerated as the 'Hero of the Two Worlds' and the military sword of Italian unification (the Risorgimento), alongside Mazzini's intellect and Cavour's diplomacy. After participating in failed republican uprisings in Piedmont, Garibaldi lived fourteen years in South America, commanding guerrilla navies and the Italian Legion in the Uruguayan Civil War, where he adopted the iconic red shirt uniform.

Returning to Italy in 1848, Garibaldi led the heroic defense of the short-lived Roman Republic against French armies. In May 1860, he launched his epochal masterpiece: the Expedition of the Thousand (I Mille). Landing with 1,089 red-shirted volunteers in Marsala, Sicily, Garibaldi defeated 25,000 Neapolitan royal troops at Calatafimi and Palermo, crossed the Strait of Messina, and liberated Naples. In October 1860, at Teano, he famously shook hands with King Victor Emmanuel II, handing over the southern kingdom to establish a unified Italy.