A planisphere, the dates 1807/2007, the image of Garibaldi at the center, and his name just below. A logo named *Garibaldi 2007 label*. To use this registered trademark, recorded at the INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property), authorization must now be sought from the International Garibaldi Bicentennial Committee. This Committee was established five years ago, at a time when no one was yet talking about the bicentennial, initiated by people from Nice. The basis of the project? To celebrate the memory of the man, fairly and without any political exploitation. Its president, the General and Regional Councilor, Jean-Pierre Mangiapan, describes it as a “band of friends.” He explains: “We did not want derivative products to be sold without our consent. By registering this label, we wanted to protect the name of our Committee so that no one could appropriate our work. It’s a very healthy reflex.” Perhaps, but it certainly did not please everyone.
### People from Nice Outraged
Jean-Pierre Mangiapan and his team allegedly initiated this label without the consent of the Garibaldi family. “Today, there are 70 descendants, most of whom are not involved in all of this and do not feel at all concerned. We have the authorization of 2 of the 4 people who diligently watch over their ancestor’s memory,” defends Jean-Pierre Mangiapan. Moral authorizations but never written. But that seems to suffice for him: “These two people are indeed honorary members of our Committee and were present, with their children and grandchildren, at our July 4th dinner. In any case, we will never refuse Garibaldi family members the free use of the label. Proof: two women from the family created the Italian Garibaldi Committee, and we did not charge them a cent.” The Committee president supposes that his detractors are among the friends of one of the descendants who did not give moral approval: “Their family issues are none of my business, but I know there’s a bit of a war between those who support us and other family members.”
### Funds for a Garibaldi Foundation?
Among the partners using this Garibaldi 2007 label are the City of Nice, the PACA Region, the General Council of Alpes-Maritimes, Air France, Fnac, Toshiba, and Cafรฉ Malongo. Jean-Pierre Mangiapan specifies that if the Committee were to earn money from the label, “which is not yet the case,” the sum could be donated to a Garibaldi Foundation. “The Committee will be dissolved on July 4, 2008, at the end of the Bicentennial year, and the funds will then be allocated to a foundation. One of the grandchildren in the family is responsible for exploring its creation,” states Jean-Pierre Mangiapan. He emphasizes that the label does not pertain to the name of Garibaldi but rather his bicentennial. Other registered trademarks exist, and many products carry the hero’s name: fruits from the Var plain, cigars, and even Italian wine.
Up there, there’s one who must be chuckling in his beard from atop his horse, watching his name continue to spark so much controversy. Oh people of Nice, who think ill of it!
