When walking through Via Garibaldi, near the statue, look at your shoulders. A red shadow could suddenly come out: it is from a Venetian who participated in the expedition of the Thousand and swore to protect his idol forever.
In the summer of 1921, as told by the elders of Castello, first a man, then a couple and immediately after a fisherman were attacked by a red shadow in the vicinity of the statue of Garibaldi.
The inhabitants organized a supervisory committee. But when two vigilantes began to inspect the statue closely, a red shadow spread them on the ground.
A boy recognized that red shadow “But that is Bepi the old man, Bepi the Garibaldian”. The eyes of the other guards turned to look at Tino, the boy, who said: “Bepi, the one who sat in front of the statue and said seriously: I will always look back at my general, and when I’m gone, I will continue to do so too in Heaven, do not you see, it’s him!”
Bepi the old man was Giuseppe Zolli, born in 1838 and a fighter alongside Garibaldi with the Thousand. He died a few weeks before, swearing loyalty to the “Hero of the Two Worlds”, even from paradise.
Under popular pressure, behind the statue of Garibaldi was placed a sculpture representing Giuseppe Zolli in bodyguard. Since the neighborhood has found its calm ….
