Daniel Radcliffe, the young actor who has now played Harry Potter in five films, apparently has a passion for the 19th century military leader who made a unified Italy possible.
Giuseppe Garibaldi is known to all Italians as the patriot and hero who conquered Naples and Sicily for the emerging nation state with an army of 1,000 men.
Radcliffe told Italian magazine Sorrisi e Canzoni that he had studied the beginnings of the Italian nation for his final school exams and found the story fascinating.
"German unification was also in the programme but the Italian one is much more heroic. What Garibaldi did was amazing!" he said.
Count Camillo Cavour, a Piedmontese politician who also played a key role in the unification on Italy, was described as "smart" but lacking the swashbuckling aura of the soldier.
"At the beginning, he only wanted to make Piedmont more powerful. Garibaldi is my favourite hero".
Radcliffe, who will soon be seen in cinemas in the new Harry Potter movie, said he also had a modern Italian hero: the soccer player Gennaro Gattuso.
The actor said he had been thrilled by the gutsy midfielder's performance in the 2006 World Cup, which Italy won.
"Obviously I was supporting England but I liked Italy too. And now my favourite footballer is Gattuso, because of his determination".
