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On April 29, 1945, on a sunny but not calm morning, Milan's Piazza Loreto was bustling with people. The anger and grief of the masses condensed in the air, creating an indescribable pressure. In the center, the two bodies were hung upside down, hanging from a high lamppost, and the heels of the ropes were unusually eye-catching.
Bursts of roars and curses pierced the silence of the morning, shattering the peace. Yes, those two figures, one is Mussolini, the former iron-fisted dictator of Italy, and the other is his lover, Clara Bertassi. Why are they here?
The Roman origins of Clara Bertassi
Clara Bertassi's family background undoubtedly paved the way for an extraordinary trajectory throughout her life. Her father, as the Pope's Imperial Physician, not only excelled in the field of medicine, but also rose to the top of Roman society. At that time, the pope was not only a symbol of religion, but also a center of power, and the papal physician became a highly respected and relied upon role.
He was a frequent participant in various religious and social activities, had close contacts with the city's magnates, and his position gave Clara's family a special social status. Clara's mother also had an indissoluble bond with the Holy See. A popular socializer among papal officials and aristocrats, she often organizes and participates in various gatherings and charitable events within the Holy See.
Her social circle encompassed many important figures in Rome, including some close advisors to the Pope and high-ranking clergy. As a result of this environment, Clara grew up in the inner circle of the church, and she grew up with a variety of ideas and messages from the church's upper echelons.
In such a family environment full of political and cultural exchanges, Clara's education and personal development were greatly valued. She received the best education of her time, learning several languages, including Latin and French, which was not only a symbol of her aristocratic status, but also laid a solid foundation for her later social activities.
In addition, the legend of their "noble blood" in the family adds a touch of mystery to Clara's personal image. According to ancient texts, the ancestors of the Betassi family were descendants of a prominent king, and although this is difficult to verify, such genealogical stories have always caused a lot of discussion in social situations, and have won Clara a lot of attention and curiosity.
The fanatical adoration of the young Clara with Mussolini
When Clara was twenty years old, Italy was experiencing intense political upheaval. Mussolini and his fascist party won widespread popular support, including for Clara and her family, by promising to restore the glory and order of the country.
During that period, Clara's home often hosted events in support of Mussolini, and the living room was filled with portraits of Mussolini, and family members and visiting friends often sat around to discuss the future of the country and Mussolini's policies.
Nurtured by this family atmosphere, Clara's admiration for Mussolini gradually transformed into a deep personal dependence. She often attended the rallies of the fascist party, which were not only political in nature, but also had a strong propaganda and mobilization effect. At the rally, Mussolini's impassioned speeches and his image were everywhere, from large banners to every small badge.
Clara was so attracted by this atmosphere that she began to wear the uniform of the fascist party, wearing the party emblem, and became a symbol of Mussolini's die-hard supporters.
Every rally Clara attends is not just a showcase of her political stance, but also an expression of adoration for Mussolini's personality. She was often able to get a position close to the podium at the rally, as close to Mussolini as possible.
Whenever Mussolini took the stage to speak, Clara was always one of the most ardent supporters, her voice was especially loud in the crowd, and her passion and enthusiasm often infected those around her. Over time, Clara's active presence in the fascist party attracted more attention.
She didn't just attend rallies but also started to participate in organizing small awareness campaigns, such as distributing leaflets and organizing youth seminars. These events gave her more access to the party's top brass, and even to Mussolini himself. At a banquet, Clara spoke directly with Mussolini for the first time, in which she expressed her support for his policy and her firm belief in fascist ideals.
This meeting had a profound impact on Clara, who began to participate in Mussolini's activities more frequently. Her existence was no longer just an ordinary supporter, she gradually became a personal acquaintance of Mussolini. In Mussolini's eyes, Clara was the best of those fanatical supporters, and he began to notice the young woman's enthusiasm and loyalty.
Clara's emotions and sacrifices
As Clara's relationship with Mussolini deepened, she transformed from a mere political supporter into his close associate, eventually becoming one of his mistresses. At that time, Mussolini's private life was complex and volatile, and he was always surrounded by multiple women. Despite this, Clara occupies a very special place in this circle.
In the early days of Clara's career, she showed a deep understanding and support for Mussolini's career. She was often involved in his political activities, sometimes even helping with planning and organization. This is not only because of her personal feelings for Mussolini, but also because of her strong belief in fascism.
This attitude and behavior of hers made her particularly important among Mussolini's many female companions. Among these women, Clara's position gradually became solid. She didn't just support Mussolini in public, she also offered emotional support in private.
Her family background and social status also provided Mussolini with a lot of convenience, which made him more comfortable in dealing with high-level people. Although Mussolini had many lovers on the outside, his relationship with Clara seems to be deeper and more complicated.
Clara's sisterhood also played a role in the relationship. Once, when Clara was unable to meet Mussolini due to ill health, her sister secretly took her place. The incident was not known to the outside world, as Clara's sister was so similar in appearance and demeanor to Clara that she could mislead Mussolini in the dim light.
Clara's sister did this partly out of loyalty and support for her sister, but also to help keep the relationship between Clara and Mussolini stable.
Such sacrifices and dedication made Clara far more valuable in the eyes of Mussolini than any other woman. Her total dedication, as well as the efforts and sacrifices she made to keep the relationship going, gave her an irreplaceable place in Mussolini's life.
The tragedy of flight and capture
In April 1945, when the Italian Social Republic was on the verge of collapse, Mussolini and Clara Bertassi hurriedly began their journey into exile. At this critical juncture, they decided to disguise themselves as ordinary Italian soldiers, hoping that this would avoid instant identification.
They changed into standard military uniforms and did their best to hide their former identities, including Mussolini's trademark bald head and the military hat he usually wore. As part of their escape plan, they chose a route to Switzerland, which was remote but relatively safe, as it avoided major towns and roads.
They blended in with a large number of civilians and other deserters, hoping to hide from the resistance by crowding tactics. During the escape, Mussolini and Clara kept a low profile as much as possible to avoid attracting attention, and they did not even dare to say much, lest their accents or the content of their words reveal their identities.
However, despite the many precautions they took, their luck came to an end. In a remote mountainous area near the Swiss border, they were unfortunately ambushed and captured by a communist partisan force of an active Italian resistance.
The guerrilla detachment had received information that there might be high-ranking fascist fugitives trying to cross the border, so strict checks were carried out on all those who passed. When captured, Clara and Mussolini tried to keep their disguises, but were soon recognized.
The partisans recognized Mussolini's facial features, which were too prominent in Italy and around the world to be completely hidden. Once identified, they were immediately taken to a nearby makeshift resistance command center for interrogation.
In the makeshift camp of the Resistance, Mussolini and Clara were held in solitary confinement. They were treated harshly, but they were not physically harmed. The leadership of the Resistance quickly made a decision to deal with them.
Due to the tense situation at the time, as well as fears of the political upheaval that could be brought about by Mussolini's escape again, the leadership of the Resistance decided not to formally hand over Mussolini and Clara to the court for trial, but to carry out the executions immediately. The execution took place in a remote location in the town of Mezegra, in the province of Como.
Mussolini and Clara were taken outside a desolate hamlet, away from the crowds and protected from any unauthorized viewing or interference. In the dimly lit early morning, the two of them were tied to an old stake and faced a platoon of resistance fighters ready to shoot.
Without going through any form of court trial, a burst of gunfire rang out, marking the end of the couple's tragic and chaotic relationship.
Ending and remembrance
On April 29, 1945, the bodies of Mussolini and Clara Bertassi were transported from the town of Mezegra, in the province of Como, to Milan. On this day, in Piazza Loreto in Milan, the crowd gathered, and the atmosphere was tense and heavy. Members of the Resistance tied the bodies of the two with ropes to their heels and hung them upside down on a lamppost in the middle of the square.
This upside-down method is intended to show the public, so that passing citizens can see the fate of these two former dictators up close. In the crowd, anger reached a boiling point.
Many people who remember the brutality of fascist rule and the trauma of war are still fresh in their minds, and when they see the two bodies, they become emotional and begin to spit on the hanging bodies, and some even go so far as to kick Mussolini and Clara in the face. Each attack was accompanied by the roars and curses of the crowd, and the scene was extremely chaotic and angry.
In the midst of this confusion, Clara Bertassi's body was hung upside down and her skirt covered her face, while also accidentally revealing her body, which was considered extremely inappropriate and disrespectful to the deceased in Italian society at the time. This unexpected situation exacerbated the chaos and caused more discontent and indignation in the crowd.
At this moment, a young resistance partisan noticed the situation. He immediately stepped out of the crowd and walked towards the upside-down corpse, his movements attracting the attention of those around him. The partisan carefully adjusted Clara's skirt, pulling it down to cover her face and body.
He moved quickly and respectfully, and despite the emotions of the crowd around him, his actions showed a kind of preservation of the basic dignity of the deceased.
After completing this action, he secured the skirt with additional ropes, ensuring that similar inappropriate exposure would not occur again. Although many in the crowd were still emotionally expressing their anger at Mussolini and Clara, the guerrilla's actions restored some order to the scene.
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Resources:
[1] Yang Jun. Mussolini's personal life[J].Knowledge Window(Teacher's Edition),2004(11):10-11