[imagesource: Mauro Morandi]

82-year-old Mauro Morandi, Italy’s world-famous hermit who was dubbed the country’s very own Robinson Crusoe, lived alone on an idyllic Mediterranean island for more than 33 years.

Morandi left the mainland behind in an attempt to “quit modern society and start anew” on Budelli island, which he was managing fairly successfully before being evicted.

He landed on the island by mistake while sailing but was blown away by the crystal-clear waters, coral sands, and beautiful sunsets, and so decided to become its sole caretaker.

For years he would chase away unwelcomed tourists and protect the coral before local authorities set up a plan to evict him and restyle his ramshackle hut into an environmental observatory.

Some people, from his substantial online following gained through showcasing the beauty of his home and his role as its sole caretaker, petitioned for him to stay.

They also heralded him for using a “Bon Sauvage” romantic myth to hide the fact that he was an illegal occupant:

Eventually, though, the authorities won and he was moved out, which he lamented at the time by saying “My balls are broken.”

He mentioned before that he couldn’t possibly be anywhere other than on the island, but he’s actually far more adaptable than he gives himself credit for.

Morandi is now thriving after moving back in with civilisation on the island of La Maddalena, not too far from Budelli, reports CNN:

“I’m the living proof that a second, new life is possible. You can always start all over again, even if you’re over 80, because there are other things you can experience, a totally different world.”

“I’m happy and I have rediscovered the pleasure of living the good life and enjoying everyday comforts,” he says.

He sure is enjoying more creature comforts than he ever had in his ramshackle shack on Budelli, with a new and fully equipped apartment that he bought using his pension from his former life as a teacher.

He went from this:

To this:

Besides the brand new, fully equipped kitchen and a bedroom with a kingsize bed, the greatest luxury of all is a shower.

Nowadays, instead of scanning the beaches for unwanted guests and picking up litter, he is writing memoirs and talking to people:

“For a long time I have lived alone, and for too many years after I first landed on Budelli I didn’t feel like talking to anyone,” he says.

“True, I cannot enjoy the island’s solitude anymore but my life now has taken a new turn, focused on communicating with others and being near other people.”

His life still seems romantic enough:

“In the morning I have breakfast out on my terrace with barley coffee,” he says.

“Then, once I have enjoyed my cigar, I go for a walk down to the port along a tiny path connecting my house, or to the village where I meet people and buy groceries.”

On the island, he would survive on scraps and cans of food brought in from the mainland and was not able to fish because he didn’t have the tools to do so.

He has become a bit of a foodie now, lapping up all that reminded him of the ‘”taste of life”.

His main source of culinary enjoyment is certainly fish:

“I still keep leading a simple life, in the morning I go down to Cala Gavetta to buy fresh fish from the net. Finally, after so many years of abstinence, I can enjoy fish again. This might sound incredible, but I can’t have enough platefuls of fresh and crispy fried fish.”

As for the island?

Well, Morandi hasn’t completely forgotten it at all, and might be willing to be the caretaker again if that becomes a paid role.

For now, he is more than happy to enjoy all the conveniences and adventures of modern life on La Maddalena.

[source:cnn]