Giuseppe Cesare Abba

Born in Cairo Montenotte in 1838, Giuseppe Cesare Abba studied in Genoa before leaving his artistic training behind to join the patriotic struggles of the Risorgimento. He fought as a volunteer in the campaign of 1859 and then took part in Garibaldi’s Expedition of the Thousand in 1860, an experience that shaped both his life and his writing.

Abba is best known as a memoirist and narrator of that era. His most famous work, Da Quarto al Volturno, grew out of notes and memories from the campaign and became one of the classic firsthand accounts of the unification of Italy. His writing is valued for being direct, humane, and full of the feeling of someone who was truly there.

Later in life he continued to write and remained closely associated with the memory of Garibaldi and the national movement. He died in Brescia in 1910, leaving behind books that connect personal witness with a major turning point in Italian history.