Today is not only Independence Day but also the 200th birthday 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, and 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; from 1850 to 1853, 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.

Tonight, 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…