Hermits around the web – Hermitary
news, sites, and pages of interest about hermits and solitude
The famed hermit of the island of Budelli, off of Sardinia, has passed away at the ago of 85. Morendi resided on Budelli for thirty-two years, forced to leave in 2021 due to jurisdictional disputes with officials.
URL: https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/07/travel/italy-famous-deserted-island-hermit-morandi-dies/index.html
The news and culture blog Gaiti.it offers a tribute to Mario Domini, who died in Nov. 2024. Domini lived for thirty years as a hermit in caves near the central Italian village of San Vittorino. He was not a retiring person but regularly interacted with the small community, raising modest funds in support of animal rights and prison abolition among other causes. Domini died a hermit, refusing hospital as his health deteriorated. The town mayor commemorated him in a public obsrvation. (Article in Italian).
URL: https://www.gaeta.it/mario-dumini-leremita-che-ha-scelto-di-vivere-in-solitudine-e-natura-e-morto
UK media site iNews features a profile of Pietro Anastasi. The feature title is: “I’ve lived on this remote Italian isle for half a century. I love my hermit life.” The byline reads: “Pietro Anastasi, 89, is the only year-round resident of the island of Filicudi, off Sicily’s northern coast, having moved there in the 60s.” The website requires a subscription, otherwise allowing the article to be visible about 20 seconds.
URL: https://inews.co.uk/news/world/lived-italian-isle-filicudi-hermit-2-29472
“For 33 years, Mauro Morandi lived the life of a hermit on the Italian paradise island of Budelli, off the north coast of Sardinia popular for its pink coral beach.
“As the island’s caretaker, he lived alone in a ramshackle hut in the company of birds, and found it blissful. Three years ago, the marine park authorities of La Maddalena archipelago kicked him off the isle, with plans to build a museum.
“Morandi crashed back down to earth. He went from a life of freedom on the sand, surrounded by nature and the sea breeze, to sleeping in a small apartment on the nearby island of La Maddalena, a tourist hotspot with 15,000 residents.”
Check the category “Italy” for more entries on Morandi.
URL: https://inews.co.uk/news/world/people-overwhelming-hermit-kicked-off-italian-paradise-isle-2651700
Il Fatto Quotidiano (Italy) offers a report on painter-artist Gabriele, who was a “rising artist.” The article summarizes his artistic life:
“In 2006 Gabriele won the ManinFesto competition at the Villa Manin Contemporary Art Center. In 2008 he was among the seven winners of the Terna 01 award and in 2009 he qualified among the finalists of the second round. Thanks to this recognition he exhibited at the Chelsea Art Museum in New York. He has participated in art fairs in Bologna, Verona, Turin (Artissima), Karlsruhe, and the Pulse in Miami. A canvas of Gabriele appears in the Oscar-winning film La Grande Bellezza by Paolo Sorrentino. His works are part of important public and private collections .”
Then, one day, Gabriele gave it all up — and became a hermit. He became Friar Gabriele (Fra Gabriele) and moved to Romita di Cesi, in the province ofTerni in central Italy. Romita di Cesi was originally a medieval Franciscan hermitage, since long abandoned, only refurbished in 1991 by by its only resident, 83-year old Fra Bernardino. The hermitage today serves as a retreat house. Fra Gagriele lives an eremitic life there but regularlyvhelps Fra Bernardino with chores inthe garden and preparing firewood.