MUSSOLINI'S WORLD WAR II BUNKER REOPENS FOR PUBLIC VIEWING IN ROME

NEW DELHI: The historic World War II bunker of Benito Mussolini, located at Villa Torlonia in Rome, has reopened its doors to the public after years of closure. Built in 1940 to shield Mussolini and his family from aerial threats, the underground complex now offers guided tours and a multimedia exhibition.

In June 1940, as Italy entered World War II, Mussolini, built air raid shelters at his Rome residence, Villa Torlonia. Three underground structures were constructed, including a modified wine cellar and a reinforced shelter in the basement of the Casino Nobile, with anti-gas doors and an air purification system.

Mussolini and his family—his wife Rachele and their five children, Edda, Vittorio, Bruno, Romano, and Anna Maria—lived in Villa Torlonia on a private estate from 1929 to 1943. Giovanni Torlonia Jr. extended an invitation to Mussolini to move into this magnificent villa.

The bunker first opened its doors to the public in 2006 but closed after two years. It underwent temporary openings in the subsequent years before its final closure in 2021. The bunker has now reopened for guided tours, which include the air raid shelter and the bunker itself. The complex also features a multimedia exhibition that showcases Rome during World War II, civilian air raid systems, and the series of 51 Allied bombings that devastated the city between July 1943 and May 1944.

As the second World War continued, Mussolini designed an armored bunker, situated underground in front of the Casino Nobile.

The bunker beneath the Casino Nobile's external plaza was conceived and constructed. This brand-new armored bunker was constructed below, 6.5 meters below the piazza in front of Casino Nobile. It features a cross-shaped floor layout with circular tunnels that are shielded by a 4-meter-thick layer of reinforced concrete. Although work on the bunker started in late 1942, it was never completed because Mussolini was arrested and then released on July 25, 1943, while the final elements were still being completed. Not completed were the technological features (ventilation system), the outer covering of the room, and the armored doors. Difficulties faced during the excavation phase were the reason for the delays.

The exhibition particularly focuses on the 1943 bombing of the San Lorenzo neighborhood, which is believed to have claimed the lives of over 3,000 civilians. The guided tours, lasting 50 minutes, take visitors underground and through the exhibition before they experience a simulated air raid in Mussolini's unfinished bunker.

The tours, which are not suitable for those with mobility issues, run from Fridays through Sundays, with an English tour available every Saturday at 11am Tickets are priced at 12 euros ($12.80) and can be booked online.

(With inputs from agencies)