I Visited Mussolini’s Bunker In Rome And You Can Too!
This past April, Mussolini’s bunker under Casino Nobile in Villa Torlonia opened to the public and you should add this hidden gem in Rome to your plans.
This past April, the restored armored bunker built for the survival of Mussolini during World War II was opened for visitors. It allows guests to travel back in time and appreciate what it could be like to experience allied bombing from more than 20 feet underground.
There were three different shelters built, with this last one not being completed before it was able to be used by Mussolini and his family. The first was built underneath a small man-made lake known as “del Fucino”, which had been a wine cellar for the Villa. It was not viewed as safe enough, so under Casino Nobile the old kitchen space was repurposed as an air raid shelter.
Since an anti-aircraft shelter isn’t expected to be as strong as a bomb shelter (bunker), digging 20 feet underneath Casino Nobile began for the new bunker. The walls were reinforced with 120 centimeters of concrete, had an air purification system and was believed to have been able to withstand allied bombings, This belief was never put to the test.
Where In Rome Did Mussolini Live?
Benito Mussolini had a number of houses around Italy during his time as the country’s Fascist dictator. A summer residence in northern Italy, known as Villa Mussolini was purchased by his wife and used for many years. While it was abandoned after the war, it was renovated and used for “cultural” events and became a source of controversy.
Mussolini also lived in Villa Torlonia in Rome, which was owned by the Torlonia banking family and rented to Mussolini for a symbolic sum of 1 Lira per year and was used as his state residence. While there were guests invited to visit Villa Torlonia, a desire to separate work from family limited the amount of state visits at his home.
Who Owned Villa Torlonia?
From the end of the 17th century until the mid 18th century, the area of Villa Torlonia was owned by the Pamphili family and used as an agricultural estate. The Pamphili family also owned Villa Doria Pamphili Park in Rome, which I found interesting because of a similar state of disrepair found in both parks. Ponds and fountains that didn’t function and large areas for jogging and dog walking that were burned out from the summer heat.
In 1760 the property was owned by the Colonna family and later purchased by Giovanni Torlonia which began a transformation from a rural residence to a sprawling residential complex with imaginative and exotic constructions and landscaping.
Where Is Mussolini’s Bunker?
Mussolini’s Bunker is found 20 feet beneath Casino Nobile in Villa Torlonia. The Villa, which is really more of a park today, can be entered from the main entrance on via Nomenata, but there are some other smaller entrances around the outside border of the park.
How To Get Mussolini’s Bunker Tour Tickets
While you can walk around the Villa Torlonia grounds freely, you can only access the bunker by a guided tour. There are Italian and English language tours available, but the English tours are only once a week, on Saturdays at 11:00AM.
You can purchase tickets for the tours onsite, but it is a popular tour and you probably will want to buy them online ahead of time. The tickets are sold on the VivaTicket site and from my visit, it looked like the group was limited to around 20 people (a rough estimate).
Ticket Price Details
| Tickets | Price | Additional Presale Fee |
| Full Guided Tour | € 12,00 | € 1,00 |
| Reduced – 6-17 Years Guided Tour | € 6,00 | € 1,00 |
| Reduced – Person With Disabilities Guided Tour | € 6,00 | € 1,00 |
| Reduced – MIC Card Holders Guided Tour | € 6,00 | € 1,00 |
| Reduced – Companion Person With Disabilities Guided Tour | € 6,00 | € 1,00 |
How Long Is The Bunker Tour?
The tour is well organized and started on time. The time allowed within the site is 50 minutes, but keep in mind that it is not possible to go back during the tour. There are also a few recommendations and warnings related to this tour, which are listed on the ticket:
- It is recommended to wear comfortable shoes.
- The access to the bunker, located inside the Casino Nobile, is through steep stairs.
- Access to the bomb shelter, through which the exit is reached, is also through steep stairs.
- No one is allowed to visit the site on their own, nor to stray from their group along the way.
- The site is not accessible for people with impaired mobility.
- The entrance and exit of the bunker are in different locations.
- The visit is not recommended for those with claustrophobia, photophobia and phonophobia.
- It is forbidden to bring animals of any kind inside the site.
- It is forbidden to bring in bulky objects inside the site.
- Smoking and introducing food and/or drinks is prohibited.
What Happened To Mussolini, His Wife And Their Children?
The tragic story of Mussolini’s first wife and son was made into a movie, but it can be summarized as: Ida Dalser and her son by Mussolini both died in mental institutions. While that sounds bad, Mussolini’s end was a bit worse. When the war was as good as lost, Mussolinis tried to flee the country but was captured in Milan, shot by a firing squad and hung upside down in Piazzale Loreto for the crowds to kick and spit on.
How Was My Experience On The Mussolini Bunker Tour?
I enjoyed my experience in the bunker quite a bit. Our tour guide was pleasant, well informed and spoke with an easily understandable accent. They augment the experience with projections, movies, sounds and a few artifacts that really bring the bunker to life. Not to spoil anything, but the final experience in the bunker was pretty cool, if not a bit scary.
It is a historically significant experience that was well executed and offered at a reasonable price. I know that is a pretty dry evaluation, but as a visitor to Rome, there are a large number of sites you can spend time at, and choosing what is important to you is the hardest part. Obviously I wouldn’t come here before seeing the Colosseum, but if you are in the neighborhood or are looking for a relatively quick tour, you should definitely check out the Bunker.
Are Sites Focused On Mussolini In Rome Worth Visiting?
I am of mixed emotions when I write about Fascist era architecture and history. I have no interest in promoting Mussolini and part of me would prefer that period dissolves into a forgotten history. Another part of me feels like events of today in the US make understanding this period in Italy worth remembering and understanding. I continue to lean towards knowledge and away from ignorance, so I’ll keep writing about what I experience because I still believe Mussolini’s Bunker is worth visiting and so are these:
- EUR Lake Rome is a beautiful urban oasis where you can see the cherry blossoms in the spring, rent a paddle boat or just go for a jog.
- The Foro Italico, Rome Is The Olympic Forum With A History.
- Rome Historical Museum Of The Liberation Helps Never Forget.
- EUR Rome: A Historical District That You Should Experience.
- Understand The Significance Of The Historic Piazza Venezia.
- Propaganda and Dreams At The Cinecittà Studios.
