di Rudio’s story by Cesare Marino & Ken Comery
On a peaceful knoll overlooking the Golden Gate, in the National Cemetery of San Francisco, under a headstone with the simple inscription
“Charles C. DeRudio – Major, 7 Cavalry
November 1 1910″
rest the ashes of a remarkable man. He had lived his life to the fullest, with intensity and passion, with undoubted courage, at times recklessly, not without his share of human shortcomings and contradictions. A man, who had been largely misunderstood by his contemporaries and, until recently, remained a forgotten figure in his native Italy.
The story of Charles DeRudio (born Carlo di Rudio) reads like a romantic tale of revolutions and political intrigue. Yet, Count DeRudio’s epic story is as real and incredible as were his exploits on two continents during the seventy-eight years of his wandering and adventurous life.