In Italy, a city purchased Mussolini's villa to prevent it from falling into the hands of radicals
The city council of an Italian town has purchased the villa where Benito Mussolini used to spend his summers. The decision was made, in part, to prevent the property from falling into the hands of individuals who sympathize with fascist ideology.
The Guardian reports on this.
Riccione Mayor Daniela Angelini stated that the purchase of “Villa Mussolini” at auction was “an act of love and foresight,” and that returning it to public ownership was a victory for the entire city.
The Riccione City Council outbid a private buyer who was a former member of the Italian Social Movement—a neo-fascist party founded in 1946 by Mussolini’s supporters.
Angelini stated that the name would be retained, despite pressure from some of her allies who are demanding it be changed.
She noted that history should be cherished, not “erased,” and that changing the name could have a “dangerous effect,” turning the villa into a place for “fascist nostalgics.”
According to her, the city plans to use “Villa Mussolini” as a public space, specifically for exhibitions exploring “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of 20th-century history, as well as for other social and cultural events.
The villa was built in 1893 just a few steps from the sea and was purchased by Mussolini’s second wife, Rachele, in 1934. The fascist dictator, who was born in Predappio, would fly here by seaplane and often used the villa for government business during his visits. The Mussolini family expanded the estate, adding a third floor, 20 rooms, and a tennis court.
After World War II and the fall of the fascist regime in Italy, the estate became state property. During Riccione’s economic boom in the 1950s and 60s, it was used for various commercial purposes, including as a veterinary clinic for dogs and a restaurant. The communist mayor of Riccione attempted to demolish it with a bulldozer in the late 1970s.
The villa lay abandoned for many years until the late 1990s, when it was purchased by the Rimini savings bank "Cassa di Risparmio," which restored it and opened it in 2005 as a venue for art exhibitions and other public events.
Italy is calling for the opening of a humanitarian corridor in the Strait of Hormuz.
Ensuring the transport of fertilizers and other humanitarian cargo through the Strait of Hormuz is vital, he emphasized.
Oil prices are rising amid the escalation with Iran.
As a reminder, in Iran, the B1 bridge connecting the capital Tehran with the western regions of the country was damaged as a result of airstrikes.
The U.S. has exhausted its list of key targets for airstrikes on Iran, so further actions are in question. Despite this, Tehran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz, which is keeping tensions high in the oil market.
