The Italian Man Who Hated People

A man nicknamed the “Italian Robinson Crusoe” lived alone on a beautiful Italian island for 32 years but not simply because he hated people.
In 1989, Mauro Morandi’s boat broke down near Budelli Island in Italy. When he discovered the island’s caretaker was retiring, he took the job and stayed. He welcomed tourists during the summer but spent winters almost completely alone, reading, carving wood and enjoying the silence.
After Budelli became publicly owned and part of La Maddalena National Park, authorities said Morandi no longer had the legal right to live there. They also wanted to restore the building he lived in and develop the island for environmental education, and officials said some alterations to his home had been made without proper permits.

Morandi fought the eviction for years and had tens of thousands of supporters, but in 2021, at age 82, he finally gave up the fight after 32 years and moved to a small apartment on nearby La Maddalena. His age and declining health also made living alone increasingly difficult.

So the simple version: The government took control of the island and essentially told its longtime hermit caretaker it was time to go.
Lana Backman