Clara Petacci

Clara Petacci, known as Claretta Petacci (Italian: [klaˈretta peˈtattʃi]; 28 February 1912 – 28 April 1945), was a mistress of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. She was killed during Mussolini's execution by Italian partisans, throwing herself on him in a vain attempt to protect him from the bullets.[1]

Clara Petacci
Born(1912-02-28)28 February 1912
Rome, Italy
Died28 April 1945(1945-04-28) (aged 33)
Giulino di Mezzegra, Italy
NationalityItalian
Known forBeing the mistress of Benito Mussolini
RelativesMiriam di San Servolo (sister) Marcello Petacci (brother)

Family

Clara Petacci's father was Francesco Petacci, primary physician of Pope Pius XI. Her sister was actress Miriam di San Servolo (31 May 1923 – 24 May 1991), also known as Miriam Petacci or Miriam Day. Petacci's brother, Marcello Petacci, was captured with Mussolini and Petacci. However, rather than being executed in Dongo, he was shot while trying to escape.

The corpses of Bombacci, Mussolini, Clara Petacci, Pavolini and Starace in Piazzale Loreto, 1945

Relationship with Mussolini

Petacci had a long-standing relationship with Mussolini while he was married to Rachele Mussolini. Petacci was 28 years younger than Mussolini.[2] They met for the first time in 1933; in 1934 Petacci married Italian Air Force officer Riccardo Federici, but she parted ways with her husband when he was sent as Air Attaché to Tokyo in 1936.[3]

Part of Petacci and Mussolini's correspondence is still the subject of a dispute with the National Archives, based on privacy.[4]

Death
See also: Death of Benito Mussolini

On 27 April 1945, Mussolini and Petacci were captured by partisans while traveling with a convoy of Italian Social Republic members.[5]

On 28 April, she and Mussolini were taken to Mezzegra and executed. On the following day, the bodies of Mussolini and Petacci were taken to Piazzale Loreto in Milan and hung upside down in front of an Esso petrol station. The bodies were photographed as a crowd vented their rage upon them.[6]

See also

References
  1. Pierluigi Baima Bollone, Le ultime ore di Mussolini, Milano, Mondadori, 2005, ISBN 88-04-53487-7., pagg. 89 e succ.ve
  2. (in Spanish) Giuseppina Persichetti, La enamorada de Mussolini, Madrid, Ediciones Caballero Audaz, 1947.
  3. Bosworth, Richard (2010). Mussolini. Bloomsbury.
  4. (in Italian) Giampiero Buonomo, Quel carteggio tra Mussolini e la Petacci. Storici sacrificati sull’altare della privacy, in Diritto e giustizia, 16 luglio 2005.
  5. Gunther Langes, Auf Wiedersehen Claretta. Il diario dell'uomo che poteva salvare Mussolini e la Petacci, a cura di Nico Pirozzi, Villaricca, Edizioni Cento Autori, 2012. ISBN 978-88-97121-37-4.
  6. "Death of the Father-Mussolini & Fascist Italy: the 'infamous' exhibit". Cornell Institute for Digital Collections. 1999.

Further reading
  • Nicholas Farrell, Mussolini: A New Life (Phoenix Press, London, 2003) ISBN 1-84212-123-5
  • Luciano Garibaldi, Mussolini: The Secrets of His Death (Enigma Books, New York, 2004) ISBN 1-929631-23-5
  • Ray Moseley, Mussolini: The Last 600 Days of Il Duce (Taylor Trade Publishing, Dallas, 2004) ISBN 1-58979-095-2
  • Rudolph S. Daldin The Last Centurion Volumes I&II ISBN 0-921447-34-5
  • R.J.B. Bosworth Claretta: Mussolini's Last Lover ISBN 978-0300214277
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