Urbino, Italy
Italian officials are planning to restore a Mount Rushmore–style rock sculpture of Benito Mussolini. The late fascist dictator’s face was carved into the side of a huge gorge in 1936, and it scowled down until World War II, when partisans blew its nose off with dynamite. After the war nobody maintained the site, and trees and bushes covered it over. Now local officials from all sides of the political spectrum want to restore the sculpture. “The goal here is to increase tourism,” said Elisabetta Foschi, an official with the post-fascist National Alliance party. “It’s not about glorifying fascism.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
