In the dramatic final days of Mussolini’s regime, the intertwined stories of Clara Petacci and Rachele Mussolini unfold against the backdrop of Italy’s catastrophic collapse. Clara, the Duce’s devoted and naive mistress, becomes an emblem of tragic loyalty, while Rachele, his enduring and stoic wife, grapples with the disintegration of her family’s legacy.

Clara Petacci is often hailed as the great lover who stayed loyal to Mussolini, allowing herself to be shot alongside him at the end. By glorifying her relationship with Mussolini, she managed to ignore the fact that she was just a disposable plaything for him, sacrificed by her family for their social ambitions. Her repeated declarations of wanting to die for Mussolini added to the myth of the great lover: "I want to die with him; my life means nothing if he is dead. I’d die anyway, but slower and with more suffering. I only want to die with him. You can’t refuse me that..."

Meanwhile, Rachele Mussolini experienced the final days of the fascist regime in fear and action. A letter from Mussolini instructed her to flee to safety with the children, but she was denied entry to Switzerland and decided to drive to Como. Upon learning of Mussolini’s execution, Rachele noted in her diary that "Justice has taken its course." She saw survival as the only chance for herself and the children, eventually reporting to the Liberation Committee of Como and being interned by the British for three months in Terni before being sent to the island of Ischia.

Rachele fought for a pension and the private estate of the Mussolinis, Carpena, and refused to collaborate with neo-fascists in later years. Clara’s posthumous reputation as a great lover was built on her decision to stay with Mussolini until the end, driven by complex motives including the desire to escape her domineering mother and defeat Rachele.

This compelling narrative explores their contrasting roles, the love and betrayal that defined their relationships with Mussolini, and the bitter ironies of power and downfall. From secret rendezvous and desperate escapes to tragic ends, the saga of Clara and Rachele reveals the human side of a dictator’s fall and the women who stood by him in his final act.

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