33
Morandi’s home on the island of Budelli, where he has been the sole inhabitant for 31 years.
In 1989, Morandi set sail with his friends and decided to go to Polynesia “to look for an island and start a new life.” His journey would take him to the nearby island of Budelli. “I was very angry with a society that does not take into consideration the individual, but only runs for power and money,” Morandi said.
Morandi said there was one “caretaker” who was leaving the island, and he asked if he could move into his home. That was on July 1, 1989, and the rest is history. Morandi fell in love with the island and decided to make it his permanent residence.
“This island was what I was looking for … The whole island is my place.”
Budelli is located in the northern Sardinia region of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea and is part of La Maddalena National Park. The area is known for its pink sand beaches, which Morandi said is composed of calcium carbonate from seashells and a “pink micro-organism that gives color to the beach.”
Morandi lives alone on the island, but tourists visit during the summer — but only for a day and there are no overnight stays. The visitors are always fascinated by his lifestyle.
“No one comes from November to April, and then I enjoy the solitude,” he says. “I love, reading, taking pictures and sharing them with the whole world to communicate beauty.”
However, Morandi’s friends visit him and bring him fresh fish. (He lost his boat three years ago and can no longer go fishing.)
