Anita joined Giuseppe Garibaldi's forces in the Ragamuffin War, becoming one of history's few women combatants fighting alongside her partner in battle.
Shortly after meeting Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1839, Anita joined him in the Ragamuffin War (Guerra dos Farrapos), a republican rebellion against the Brazilian Empire in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. She quickly proved herself not merely a companion but an active combatant, taking part in naval engagements and land battles, reportedly manning cannons and riding into skirmishes with the rebel forces.
This period cemented her reputation as an extraordinarily rare figure: a woman who fought directly in combat during a 19th-century war, at a time when women's participation in warfare was almost universally confined to support roles such as nursing or provisioning. Anita's willingness to take up arms, ride on horseback for days, and endure the hardships of guerrilla campaigns made her a legendary figure among the Farrapos and later among Italian nationalists.
Her courage during this campaign, including surviving capture, escape, and the loss of a pregnancy under harsh conditions, established the template for her later legendary status as a heroine of two worlds — fighting for both Brazilian regional independence and, later, Italian unification. Her battlefield conduct challenged rigid gender norms of the era and made her one of the most celebrated women in the history of 19th-century revolutionary movements.