Predappio is a small town in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy that is experiencing some pretty big times this year. Benito Mussolini was born on July 29, 1883 in the hamlet of Dovìa; and 2022 marks the centenary of Mussolini’s “March on Rome,” which led to the seizure of power by the Italian fascists. For as long as anyone can remember, on April 28, the anniversary of Mussolini’s death in 1945, and on October 28, the anniversary of the March on Rome in 1922, there have been processions of supporters of the Duce in Predappio.
Like their historical role models, they wear black shirts and raise their right arms in the “Roman salute”. They gather in Piazza Sant’Antonio for the rally. They then march to the San Cassiano Cemetery, which is just outside the city. There, in a chapel at the back of the cemetery, is the Mussolini family tomb. In the crypt lie the bones of the Duce, along with the remains of another 14 members of the family from four generations.
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