The First Mrs Garibaldi

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Equestrian statue of Anita Garibaldi by Mario Rutelli

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Every major Italian city has a statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-82), one of the great heroes of the struggle for Italian independence, but Rome also boasts a statue of the first Mrs G.

The equestrian statue of Brazilian-born Ana Maria de Jesus Ribeiro da Silva (1821-49), better known as Anita Garibaldi, stands on the Janiculum Hill, a short distance from that of her husband. Nestling a baby in one arm and brandishing a gun with the other, she sits astride her rearing horse.

The bronze statue, the work of the Sicilian sculptor Mario Rutelli (1859-1941), was unveiled on June 4th 1932, two days after her remains had been transferred from Nice (Garibaldi's birthplace) to Rome. 

• Related post: Monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi.

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Equestrian statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi by Emilio Gallori