Giussepe Peppino Garibaldi, an international warrior who fought alongside Madero. Today, one of the most famous squares in the CDMX bears his name.
One of the most popular squares in Mexico City is Garibaldi, world famous for hosting a large number of musicians, for its classic cantinas and for the Tequila Museum. There are two theories as to how this iconic place in the Historic Center gets its name, one is that it is in honor of Giuseppe Peppino Garibaldi, a foreign hero of the Mexican Revolution who is seldom remembered, and the other is that it is for his grandfather, Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882), one of the most emblematic figures of the Risorgimento, the process of Italian unification in the 19th century.
Also known as Joseph Garibaldi, he should not be confused with his namesake grandfather, the mythical Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882) who helped unify Italy. Peppino was born on July 29, 1879 in Melbourne, Australia, and was the son of Uruguayan Ricciotti Garibaldi and Englishwoman Costance Hopcraft. Like his father and grandfather, from his youth he was involved in war activities.
Together with his father he fought in the Greco-Turkish war and later traveled to South America, a territory already extensively traveled by his grandfather and father. He settled temporarily in Buenos Aires. He also participated in the British Army in the wars of Liberation of the Boeres and in the Liberating Revolution, where he fought against Cipriano Castro.
After a period of tranquility, in which he was able to avoid entering into a war conflict, Peppino Garibaldi arrived in Mexico and joined Francisco I. Madero's forces. His arrival was not well received by all the revolutionaries, who with nationalist impetus demanded the incorporation of a foreigner. Opposition to his presence was expressed by Pascual Orozco and Francisco Villa, however, Francisco I. Madero defended him by making a comparison of Lafayette's combat with George Washington or Francisco Xavier Mina, born in Spain, in favor of Mexico's Independence.
It should be noted that Peppino Garibaldi was not the only foreigner, in fact, it was a group of approximately forty people of different nationalities. For this reason, Madero named him head of the "Foreign Legion".
"Mr. Garibaldi's grandfather, and even his father, have always put their swords at the service of the oppressed; for this reason he has done nothing but follow the noble example of his ancestors..."
His first military incursions in Mexico were the battle of Casas Grandes and Ciudad Juarez, where he fought alongside Eduardo and Raul Madero, both brothers of Francisco I. Madero. When the forces of the Mexican Liberal Party triumphed and entered Mexico City, Giuseppe Peppino Garibaldi accompanied Madero in the car.
He initially traveled to the United States as a communicator for Madero, but was called by his father to fight on the other side of the world. He then went to the Balkans to participate in the war against Turkey. Later, he formed the Legione Garibaldina, which joined the French Legion during World War I, where he fought as a commander. Later the legion joined the forces of the Italian Royal Army, where he held the rank of Brigadier General until his retirement in 1919.
In 1922, Peppino Garibaldi fought against Benito Mussolini's fascism, but was unsuccessful. From then on, he stayed some seasons in the United States and others in Europe, until he was arrested by the Nazis during the period from 1943 to 1945. He was later released and returned to Rome, where he died in 1950.
