The Fight for Freedom: Palermo, 1860

1968

Special Collections DG975 P2 BT29 1968

London: Folio Society

Since Palermo, Sicily’s capital, was inhabited 2700 years ago, it has been ruled by many nations – Romans, Vandals, Ostrogoths, Arabs, Normans, the Spanish and Austria. In May 1860, Palermo found itself under siege from career freedom fighter Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-82) and his red-shirt clad Thousand. The battle was just one of many that took place on the island as part of the Risorgimento, a movement launched to unite Italy into a single state. The Risorgimento was a long process which began after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 and did not fully conclude until after WWI. The creation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 made a national hero of Garibaldi.