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Jacket belonged to Giuseppe Garibaldi
Cristina Sizio, ved. Figari 1960
jacket
Cat. 590
Indossata sopra la camicia.
Red cloth jacket edged in dark green cloth and threaded in white, with two top pockets arranged obliquely and small metal buttons. This shirt, or vest, worn by Giuseppe Garibaldi, was long kept as a relic and finally donated to the Museum by Cristina Sizio, widow Figari, in 1960.
As is well known, the red shirts were the most recognisable symbol of Garibaldi's volunteers, protagonists of the campaigns for the unification of Italy in the 19th century. It was not just a garment, but an emblem of belonging, courage and revolutionary spirit. The colour red, initially chosen for practical reasons - they were work shirts readily available in South America - soon became a distinctive sign, capable of uniting men of different social backgrounds under a single cause: freedom and the independence of the homeland.