Anita and Giuseppe

Before heading out to my birthday dinner, we finally hiked up the Gianicolo behind our house. It is one of the famous hills of Rome (Janiculum in English), and Brad wanted to catch the sunset there. I was my first attempt going up a steep hill after being off crutches (for two weeks).

 First we stopped at a lighthouse erected in the 1800s by Italians living in Argentina. It beams the colors of the Italian flag on national holidays.

           

Then we stopped at the monument to Anita Garibaldi. She was Giuseppe Garibaldi’s young, Brazilian wife, who fought alongside him. While they were fighting to establish a republic in southern Brazil, Anita was captured by opposing forces but escaped on horseback, brandishing her pistol, all while seven months pregnant! She died of malaria at age 28, pregnant with their fifth child, near Ravenna, Italy while fighting with Garibaldi in the cause of Italian Unification. Another nasty woman! (Two of her sons who joined their father in later battles have busts on the Gianicolo as well.)

We reached the top of Passeggiata del Gianicolo and the Piazza overlooking the city with Garibaldi’s enormous monument in the center. 

Had a glass of wine while we waited for the sunset.

We caught a glimpse of St. Peter’s through the umbrella pines on our way back down.