Following the collapse of the short-lived Roman Republic, Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi led a desperate force of roughly 4,000 volunteers on an arduous retreat through the rugged Apennine Mountains, pursued by four armies. Marching across war-torn, sun-baked terrain, the column endured severe starvation, dehydration, and constant guerrilla skirmishes. Garibaldi's pregnant wife, Anita, refused to leave his side, displaying monumental physical endurance before tragically succumbing to malaria during the flight. Despite immense grief and exhaustion, Garibaldi evaded capture, marching through marshes and forests to reach safety.

This tragic, epic retreat cemented Garibaldi's status as a legendary figure of the Risorgimento, inspiring a massive wave of romantic Italian national poetry and biographical literature. Nineteenth-century poets heavily romanticized Anita's tragic devotion and Garibaldi's unyielding march, transforming their physical suffering into a foundational poetic symbol for the painful, sacrificial birth of modern Italian liberty.