Villa Torlonia

Mussolini's bunkers at Villa Torlonia - darkometer rating : 6 - The bunkers/air-raid shelters that Italy 's dictator Benito Mussolini had built at his Rome residence of Villa Torlonia during WWII . These underground passages have recently been refurbished and can now be visited on guided tours. > More background info > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations > Photos More background info: After Mussolini assumed full control of Italy as its “Duce”, i.e. 'leader' (ergo dictator!) he obviously had to move to Rome (he was from the north originally). Lucky for him, a wealthy admirer, “let” his family mansion to Mussolini (allegedly for a token of 1 lira a year, i.e. basically for free) so the dictator could use it as his stately residence in the capital. Both the park and the mansion in it are known as Villa Torlonia . The mansion alone is sometimes also referred to as Casino Nobile . Here Mussolini lived with his family (and mistresses) and frequently held court in grand style from the mid-1920s onwards … until he was deposed in 1943. As Europe was descending into WWII , Mussolini became concerned about his and his family's safety in case aerial bombardments should hit Rome or if the Allies even tried to target the dictator specifically. So he had a first underground air-raid shelter prepared. This first “bunker” was actually no more than a “shelter”. It was just a converted wine cellar, covered with earth and leaves so as not to look like anything out of the ordinary. However, it would not have withstood a direct hit. Moreover, oxygen supplies would only have lasted six hours.