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Mussolini balcony to be reopened after decades of neglect

A balcony in Rome from which Mussolini gave rabble-rousing speeches to his Black Shirt supporters and declared war on Britain in 1940 is to be reopened to the public after decades of neglect.

Some of the most famous images of Il Duce were taken as he harangued the crowds from the stone balustrade, which overlooks Piazza Venezia, Rome’s answer to Trafalgar Square.

It has been shuttered for decades, partly out of embarrassment for its historical connotations and because of concerns that it would become a place of pilgrimage for modern-day fascists.

The entrance to the balcony was cloaked in heavy black curtains and the balustrade itself crowded with flagpoles and a pair of large air conditioning units....

Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)