Righetto and Sgrullarella

Righetto: the brave Roman child who, alongside his dog Sgrullarella, defied bombs in the name of freedom.

Following an internal uprising that resulted in Pope Pius IX fleeing from Rome to Gaeta, the Roman Republic was proclaimed on February 9, 1849. In its brief existence, the Republic transitioned from one of Europe’s most backward states to a testing ground for new democratic ideas. It established its political and civil life on principles such as universal male suffrage, the abolition of the death penalty, and freedom of worship. This short-lived Republic was governed by a triumvirate comprising Carlo Armellini, Giuseppe Mazzini, and Aurelio Saffi.

Upon request from Pope Pius IX, France, under the leadership of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (the future Napoleon III), intervened for political convenience to restore the papal order. This early episode of the Italian Risorgimento saw numerous prominent figures of the future unification movement rushing to defend the Roman Republic, including Giuseppe Garibaldi and his Garibaldini, among whom was Goffredo Mameli.

Righetto was a twelve-year-old boy from Trastevere. His last name remains unknown, as he, like many other children of his time, lived on the streets, possibly abandoned or orphaned. Despite his circumstances, he was lively and resourceful, earning a living by making deliveries for a baker in Trastevere, who gave him just enough to stave off hunger. His inseparable companion was a little dog he named Sgrullarella.

The days of the French siege of Rome, led by General Oudinot, arrived. Cannons breached the Janiculum walls, and bombs rained down in the city’s heart, bringing death and destruction. The Romans, however, displayed remarkable composure and courage. Garibaldi wrote to his wife Anita in a letter dated June 21: “Here, women and children chase after cannonballs and bombs, competing to capture them.” But it wasn’t just bravery that drove the women and children to gather bombs.

The bombs, fired from cannons, had long fuses that caused them to explode several seconds after landing. The average interval between impact and explosion was about 10 to 12 seconds. The Republic’s defenders soon discovered that to “disarm” the bombs, one only needed to throw a wet cloth over them to extinguish the fuse. Moreover, due to a shortage of weapons and ammunition, the newly formed Republic’s War Ministry offered a modest reward of one scudo for every unexploded bomb delivered. This prompted many women and children to dash for the cannonballs as soon as they hit the ground.

The bravest and fastest of these bomb catchers was Righetto, who even organized a group of peers for this purpose. Shouting “Bombe! Panze a tera!” (Translated: Bombs! Bellies on the ground!), as soon as he heard the unmistakable whistle of an incoming projectile, he would unhesitatingly throw himself among the French bombs. Using his wet rag, he would leap onto the cannonballs to prevent them from exploding.

The French bombardment had been ongoing for fifteen days. Rome was on the brink of collapse, and on June 29, Righetto was with Sgrullarella at La Renella, the riverbank near Ponte Sisto, when a bomb landed. He rushed to throw a cloth over it to extinguish the fuse, but this time it was too short. The bomb exploded in his hands. Sgrullarella died instantly, and Righetto, grievously injured, was cared for by a kind elderly woman, but his condition was critical, and he died in great agony a few days later.

Righetto’s death led the Roman Republic to revoke the reward (similar incidents had occurred). His fame spread first among the Garibaldini, then among the aristocrats, and finally throughout the population. He soon became a symbol and a hero. However, the Roman Republic was ultimately defeated by French troops, who retook Rome on July 3, 1849. The confirmed dead among the Republic’s defenders numbered 983, including Righetto.

In 1851, a Garibaldino named Count Pompeo Litta commissioned the sculptor Giovanni Strazza to create a statue titled “The Bold” (“L’Audace”), dedicated to Righetto. It was displayed in the atrium of Palazzo Litta in Milan, where it remains to this day.

On September 9, 2005, a statue was erected on the Janiculum Hill in his memory and in honor of all the children who lost their lives during that bloody and terrible year. The young boy is depicted with his inseparable Sgrullarella, a small trumpet, and a Phrygian cap, tearing away the fuse with one hand and throwing the bomb with the other. The plaque reads: “To Righetto – Young Trastevere Boy, symbol of the children who fell defending the glorious Roman Republic of 1849.”

When you visit Janiculum Hill, take a moment to pet Sgrullarella and say: “Ciao Righe’!” to this small but great hero.