Workers in Rome have stumbled across a top-secret bunker once belonging to former Fascist leader Benito Mussolini, hidden underneath the historic Palazzo Venezia.
The discovery is the 12th such bunker as is said to have been the “most secret” of the former strongman’s hideouts, according to the Italian publication La Stampa.
And in what has become a tradition of sorts, the bunker will soon go on display for the public to tour and document,
as has been done with other recently discovered Mussolini bunkers. City
officials plan to install lighting, a touchscreen system and an air
siren, meant to simulate the sounds of an impending air raid.
The nine room hidden compound was reportedly unearthed by city
superintendent Anna Imponente and architect Carlo Serafini, who were
busy inspecting a restoration project on the 15th century
building that sits atop the bunker. The Palazzo Venezia currently houses
a national museum and has been a historically significant structure for
centuries, having been used by high ranking members of the Roman
Catholic Church and other important figures over the years.
During their inspection, Serafini and Imponente noticed a tiny wooden
hatch, which led down to the bunker nearly 50 feet beneath the earth.
“When we saw the concrete, it was all clear,” Serafini told the
paper. "It’s the twelfth bunker of Rome -- Benito Mussolini’s last
bunker."
Although the bunker was never finished, there are holes in the wall
meant for indoor plumbing and electricity, Serafini says the structure
is so solid it would have likely held up under an assault from Allied
forces.
"The walls rest on the foundations of an old tower, and are almost
two meters thick in some places," Serafini told the paper. "It would
have probably only been designed for Mussolini himself and one other
person; more than likely his mistress, Claretta Petacci.”
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