The Decrepit Remains of Benito Mussolini’s Retirement Home in Greece

Rosemary Giles
Photo Credit: Vadim Indeikin / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo Credit: Vadim Indeikin / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

FamousJust because he was one of history’s most notorious dictators doesn’t mean that Benito Mussolini didn’t want to have a relaxing retirement. Before the Second World War even started, he had made plans to retire to the Greek island of Rhodes where he would live out the rest of his days in the comfort of an elaborate and elegant villa. Those plans never came to fruition.

Mussolini and the Second World War

After years of campaigning for a dictatorship in Italy, Mussolini became prime minister on October 31, 1922. He was generally well regarded by his people in the early years, despite his questionable election practices to ensure he stayed in power. On May 22, 1939, he signed the Pact of Steel, allying Germany, Italy, and Japan for the duration of the war.

Exterior view of the Mussolini Villa with a wooden turret and wood slat windows.
Exterior of the Mussolini Villa, April 5, 2010. (Photo Credit: Notafly/ Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 3.0)
View lookup up a rock face at the Mussolini villa terrace.
View looking up at the Mussolini villa from down below, April 5, 2010. (Photo Credit: Notafly / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Soon enough, Italy marched into battle alongside its German allies. As the war waged on, it became obvious that the Axis powers were going to lose, especially after the Allied invasion and subsequent advance into Sicily in July of 1943. Later the same month, the Fascist Grand Council met and voted Mussolini out of power.

Faded red wood accented windows along the exterior of the Mussolini villa.
Exterior of the Mussolini villa showing the numerous windows, April 5, 2010. (Photo Credit: Notafly / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0)
Arched glass door leading to a brick courtyard.
Doorway leading out to the courtyard of the villa, April 5, 2010. (Photo Credit: Notafly / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0)

The following day he was arrested and sent for imprisonment on the island of Ponza. His allies came to the rescue and he was eventually extracted by German troops. Mussolini remained in the north of his country as he refused to leave, a decision that sealed his fate. He and his mistress were shot on April 28, 1945, never making it to his retirement home.

Plans for retirement

The villa was built in 1936 by Count Cesare De Vecchi, one of Mussolini’s loyal followers. He lived in the villa for many years after construction was complete, having been appointed the governor of the Dodecanese islands. They were a series of 15 large and 150 small Greek islands that came under Italian control in 1912.

Open interior room of the villa with large windows and tile floors.
One of the interior rooms of the villa, September 28, 2020. (Photo Credit: Matt Forster / Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
View looking out of the villa through floor to ceiling glass windows.
View looking out of the villa into Rhodes through floor to ceiling glass windows, April 5, 2010. (Photo Credit: Notafly/ Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 3.0)

Rhodes was one of them. While the islands as a whole were intended to bolster a new Roman empire, Rhodes had a different purpose. Mussolini wanted to turn it into a powerful naval base that he could use to launch attacks against the surrounding areas, so it became the home of the Royal Italian Navy.

Open interior room of the villa with large windows and tile floors.
Alternate view inside the villa, September 28, 2020. (Photo Credit: Matt Forster / Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
Abandoned and decrepit hallway of the Mussolini villa.
Interior hallway in its abandoned state, April 5, 2010. (Photo Credit: Notafly / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Given the dictator’s death near the end of the war, he never actually visited the villa, and he certainly never got the retirement that he planned for himself. Instead, the island was abandoned by the Italians. Ultimately, it was transferred back to Greece in 1947.

Abandonment

In the years that followed, the villa only fell into worse and worse condition, despite it once being an elegant building with an incredible view looking down to the Aegean Sea. Some believe that this disrepair was purposeful, as a way of remembering that Count Vecchi had treated the locals horrifically while he lived there.

Long kitchen sink mounted to a tile wall in an abandoned room.
Remnants of the villa kitchen, April 5, 2010. (Photo Credit: Notafly/ Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 3.0)
Side by side photos of the fireplace covered in graffiti in the villa.
Villa fireplace and the surrounding wall covered in graffiti, October 25, 2020. (Photo Credit: Matt Forster/ Flickr / CC BY 2.0)

The villa still stands, as does the chapel with elegant stained glass that was built on the property. The remainder of the estate is covered in graffiti, with only the ceilings free of the unwanted decoration. In the mid-2010s, the Greek government made moves to lease the property out for 50 years.

Side by side images of interior hallways in the villa in disrepair.
Interior hallways inside the villa in disrepair, October 25, 2020. (Photo Credit: Matt Forster / Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
Exterior pathway between the villa and a large concrete wall.
Exterior walkway beside the villa, April 5, 2010. (Photo Credit: Notafly/ Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 3.0)

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They hoped that by placing the villa and 13 other hotels and hospitals on the market they would be able to pay down their country’s massive debt. It was officially listed in 2014 by the Hellenic Republic Assets Development Fund and, as of 2020, had not yet sold. It does, however, remain an extremely popular tourist destination.