The Mussolini Collection: dispersal, historical erasure and public uses of the material memory of Fascism in Italy

Abstract This article analyses the story behind a vast collection of personal objects, furnishings, books, photographs and documents belonging to Benito Mussolini and his entourage. Most of these items were dispersed after the war, revealing how the collective memory of fascism was caught between historical erasure, preservation and reuse. Following the collapse of the Italian Social Republic and the end of the war, the assets were transferred from Lake Garda to the Monti Riuniti di Credito su Pegno in Brescia. Considered historically and artistically insignificant but potentially dangerous as objects of worship, the authorities swiftly eradicated them in the early 1950s for fear that they might affect public opinion, which oscillated between authoritarian nostalgia and the exoneration of Fascism. Studying these objects can provide valuable insights into the cultural identity, aesthetic preferences and daily life of Mussolini and his inner circle, offering a better understanding of the internal dynamics of power management at the heart of the regime.