Anita Garibaldi

Saint Agnes and Anita Garibaldi are female figures from Roman history that depict courage and strength in the face of tough times. Through their stories and legends is represented some of the history and culture of Rome such as the persecutions of Christians and the combat of revolutionary liberalism. They are both remembered as Italian heroes and they respectively have places in Italy to be honored. First, there is Saint Agnes, a beautiful girl born in 291 AD. She belonged to a wealthy and Christian family, whose hand was offered in marriage to a few high ranking men chasing after her. However, her faith in God was bigger than herself that she devoted her life to him and promised to maintain her purity intact. The young men she rejected

She was born in 1821 into a poor family in the south of Brazil. Like most girls from low resources, she didn’t received a formal education, however, she was a good equestrian. At the age of 14 she was forced to marry Manoel Duarte di Aguiar, a shoemaker, who was called into service for the Brazilian army. There’s not a real story on how they broke up or who abandon who, but Giuseppe Garibaldi swoop into the picture quickly. He was an Italian general, politician and nationalist who played a large role in the history of Italy. Anita joined him in every battle and refused to leave his side when he advice her to go ashore. One of Garibaldi 's comrades described Anita as "an amalgam of two elemental forces…the strength and courage of a man and the charm and tenderness of a woman, manifested by the daring and vigor with which she had brandished her sword and the beautiful oval of her face that trimmed the softness of her extraordinary eyes." (Wikipedia) The Equestrian statue of Anita Garibaldi by Mario Rutelli (1932) is located in the Gianicolo hill. The statue was a gift by the Brazilian government in recognition of her Brazilian origin. She is depicted charging on horseback with pistol raised as she holds her infant son. The adventures of Garibaldi and Anita on campaign quickly became the stuff of romantic novels set against the backdrop of the Risorgimento. She died in Garibaldi’s arms at the age of 28, pregnant and