Fans of historical tourism can now book tickets to Italy to see dictator Benito Mussolini’s network of underground bomb shelters.

The Villa Torlonia in Rome was the private residence of the Duce and his family from 1925-1943. The three underground shelters were designed to protect its inhabitants from Allied bombing raids and were made out of 4ft of reinforced concrete. The structure had anti-gas doors and an air purification system. Construction had also commenced on a secret passageway leading directly to the Vittorio Emanuele monument, though it remained incomplete following Mussolini’s arrest near the end of the Second World War.

In June 1944 the entire property was occupied by the Allied High Command. The Villa was bought by the Municipality of Rome in 1977 and a year later it was opened to the public. A series of restoration projects were initiated in the 1990s in the surrounding park and buildings.

The “Rifugio e il Bunker” experience has now reopened at the end of a maintenance operation with a new exhibition on the life of Mussolini and his family at Villa Torlonia. Visitors can relive the dramatic moments of an air raid through an immersive multimedia experience.

Tickets cost around INR 1,066 per person and tours are open from Friday to Sunday. School tours and other special groups operate throughout the week with the exception of Monday. Purchase your tickets from the Museo Villa Torlonia website or in person at the offices in Casino Nobile.