Garibaldi-Meucci Museum Celebrates Italian Unification 3/17

On Thursday, March 17 from 5 p.m.-7p.m., the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of Italian unification. We will be honoring the memory of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the legendary general who fought for decades to bring about that unification. Admission will be free, and a light supper will be served.

The evening will also celebrate the launch of the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum Recognition Walkway project. In an ongoing campaign, the museum will be offering bricks for sale that can be personalized with a name, special date or brief message to honor family members, friends or yourself. The engraved bricks, which come in three sizes and range in price from $100 to $1,000, will be installed in the sidewalk in front of the museum during a special ceremony to take place in October. Bricks can be purchased for yourself, or given as a gift to remember ancestors or recognize children or grandchildren. Your personalized brick in the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum Recognition Walkway will be a permanent memorial to those you name, at one of Staten Island's most historic sites, where future visitors can see your support of Italian culture for generations to come.

In 1850, while in exile from Italy, Giuseppe Garibaldi received refuge in the Staten Island home of Antonio Meucci, the true inventor of the telephone. That home now houses the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum. It was during his stay in this house that Garibaldi, who had just lost his wife and been defeated while trying to defend the Roman Republic, found healing and rejuvenation, giving him the strength to go on to his greatest victories. Ten years later, in 1860, Garibaldi landed in Marsala and, with his volunteer force of 1,000 men, liberated Sicily. That triumph led to the declaration of the Kingdom on Italy on March 17, 1861.

Come celebrate this day of Italian unification and remember Giuseppe Garibaldi who, more than any other person, made it happen. Don't miss this unique opportunity to engrave your name in the history of the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum, and to learn how you can help us reach your family and friends so they too can leave their mark. You will be helping to preserve a Staten Island historical landmark while promoting Italian culture, and remembering your loved ones in a real, lasting way.

The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum is owned by the Order Sons of Italy in America.

The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum was the home of Antonio Meucci, the true inventor of the telephone, and a refuge to Giuseppe Garibaldi, the legendary hero who championed the unification of Italy. For over 50 years the museum has fulfilled its mission to preserve the legacies of these great men, and to promote understanding of the Italian-American heritage through cultural, artistic and educational programs and classes.

Regular museum hours are 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $5 per person, members and children under 10 are free. Call ahead for groups of 10 or more. The first floor of the museum is wheelchair accessible, however the restroom is on the second floor. At press time, program funding has been provided through the Order Sons of Italy in America; by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; Richmond County Savings Foundation; Northfield Bank Foundation; Coccia Foundation; JP Morgan Chase Regrant in partnership with the Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island (COAHSI) and by grants allocated by New York City Council members Vincent Ignizio and James Oddo.