Two for One

Today is not only Independence Day but also the 200th Anniversary of Giuseppe Garibaldi - he was born in Nice (Nizza) on July 4, 1807. The statue shown in the photo sits in Washington Square Park. Last night there was a celebratory concert; today there is singing of Italian songs during the day. Garibaldi was a military leader who is credited with unifying Italy. He was exiled from Italy a number of times - in 1850-3 he lived in Staten Island, New York. The sculptor of the bronze statue, Giovanni Turini was a volunteer member of Garibaldi's Fourth Regiment - it was donated by the Italian-American community in 1888, six years after Garibaldi's death. Click here for a photo I took of the plaque by the statue; it gives a brief bio of Garibaldi and information regarding the statue itself. Today, of course, we have the annual fireworks sponsored by Macy's at 9:20 PM. There are many viewing areas - the prime area is the FDR drive which is closed to vehicles from 14th to 42nd Street. Of course there are many other viewing areas - Roosevelt Island, Long Island City (Queens), Liberty Park, NJ, South Street Seaport, Brooklyn and the Circle Line. And I understand that tickets are available for viewing from the Empire State Building for 150 people at $175 each ...