The Bunker and the Air Raid Shelters of Villa Torlonia

Re-opened in April 2024 at the end of a maintenance operation, the Bunker and Air Raid Shelters of Villa Torlonia present a new exhibition itinerary that documents the life of Mussolini and his family at Villa Torlonia and offer the possibility of reliving the dramatic moments of an air raid through an immersive multimedia experience.

Thanks to structural and reclamation works, these places, whose rooms are furnished with original equipment of the time, welcome you in complete safety.

The visit route is also enriched with material that is philologically consistent with the function of the places, so that it is easier to read and understand.

The historical background

Between 1929 and 1943, Villa Torlonia was the private residence of Benito Mussolini and his family, consisting of his wife Rachele and children Edda, Vittorio, Buno, Romano and little Anna Maria. Starting in 1940, with Italy's entry into the war and the first bombings, three underground structures were built in the villa to protect the then Head of Government from possible air raids. The anti-aircraft and gas-protected structures present in Villa Torlonia are (in chronological order):

The Cellar Shelter under the Fucino pond

Equipped in 1940 and used until the end of that year, the first shelter was prepared by adapting the premises of an old underground cellar, located below the small lake known as 'del Fucino' near the Theatre. It was equipped with double armoured doors and a gas filtering and air regeneration system that was operated by hand crank. The lighting was battery operated and inside it was a toilet, a telephone with a direct line for Mussolini's use, a first aid station and a bedstead with mattress. It was soon planned to build stronger and safer structures under the Casino Nobile.

The Casino Nobile Shelter

Built in 1941 in the basement of the building and used in 1942 and 1943, it was more functional than the Cellar Shelter and was inside the Casino Nobile building. The rooms were reinforced with 120 centimetres of solid concrete and equipped with a purification and air exchange system.

The Bunker of Villa Torlonia

Designed and built from scratch, the bunker's armoured structure was excavated to a depth of six and a half metres beneath the forecourt in front of the Casino Nobile. It has a cross-shaped plan and circular tunnels protected by a four-metre thick reinforced concrete cover. The bunker, the construction of which began at the end of 1942, remained unfinished because when Mussolini was deposed and arrested - on 25 July 1943 - the finishing touches had not been completed. Still missing were the watertight armoured doors, the external shaft cover and the technological equipment, such as the forced ventilation system, and the bathrooms. The delays were caused by the difficulties encountered in the excavation: the ground near the building turned out to be poor, which meant that the foundations had to be built twice as deep as planned. Had it been completed, it would have been the Italian bunker with the highest degree of resistance dedicated to the protection of a single personality.

The Bunker and the anti-aircraft shelters can only be accessed by guided tour.
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