Josué Garibaldi, Nice-Premium wishes you a happy birthday
« Garibaldi is clearly the only Niçois known worldwide, from Latin America to England ». These are the words of the Niçois historian Max Gallo. Less of a Niçois than he liked to claim, the popular hero chose Italian nationality, that of his father, when Nice, on the other hand, became French. But in the hearts of the Niçois, he remains Jòsué Garibaldi, the “Che nissart”.
This is what struck Hubert Heryès, author of the book “Garibaldi, hero of a Europe in search of identity” and professor at the University of Montpellier III: “It’s surprising, in Italy Garibaldi is part of the collective memory, but it’s here in Nice where he stirs the most enthusiasm! Across the border, he is the father of Italian unification. In Nice, people cultivate more the myth of the hero, the adventurer. That’s where he first started as a sailor. “
A symbol of freedom
The people of Nice have a somewhat insular pride. Garibaldi remains one of the symbols of this city, which has only been French for a century and a half, and is so attached to its culture. At the Cours Saleya market, Lucienne, 64 years old, sells her flowers. “Garibaldi? He’s an Italian military man. A local boy.” Contradictory? Not for Lucienne: “He is a figure from here, a bit like Catherine Ségurane. He belongs to the city because he was born here, it’s normal to be proud of him and pay tribute to him.“
Garibaldi has always inspired those who have a taste for delving into Niçois culture: “He is a romantic hero. Many artists are captivated by the character. There is everything about Garibaldi: songs, books, performances. Even if he compromised or contradicted himself ideologically, he never fought for his own personal interests. That’s what appeals to idealistic artists,” says Patrice Arnodo. This Niçois language teacher at the Parc Impérial High School regrets that Garibaldi is absent from the national education curriculum.
He liked to say “I was not born Italian, nor French, nor Savoyard. I was born Niçois.” Perhaps that’s why Giuseppe Garibaldi has not found his place in history books. “As it is taught to students, the history of France is quite nationalist. French heroes are men like Napoleon. Today, Garibaldi evokes, at best, Italian unity, at worst, a place in Nice,” explains Patrice Arnodo. Next school year, he will take his class to Garibaldi’s tomb in Sardinia. The teacher wants to continue to “pass on the history of our region to the young.“
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