Italian city purchases Mussolini’s former villa for €1.2 million

The municipal authorities of Riccione have purchased a historic seaside villa that once served as the summer residence of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini in 193.

The property was acquired for €1.2 million, Caliber.Az reports, citing Bild.

A fund owned the villa, built around 1890 in a style typical of Adriatic coastal resort homes.

Often still referred to as “Villa Mussolini,” the mansion was bought by the city to prevent it from falling into the hands of admirers of the former dictator.

Mayor Daniela Angelini said the purchase was intended to block “nostalgic supporters” of Mussolini from acquiring the property.

Support for Mussolini persists in parts of Italy, including within the ruling party Brothers of Italy, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The dictator’s tomb in Predappio remains a gathering site for neo-fascist groups.

“Riccione does not erase its complex past, but critically engages with it through culture,” Angelini emphasised.

In recent years, the villa has functioned as a cultural and exhibition centre, hosting international photography shows.

Authorities now plan to transform the site into a hub for intangible cultural heritage and historical archives, while retaining the name “Villa Mussolini.”

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov