Origins & Early Life

Clara "Claretta" Petacci (Italian: [klaˈretta peˈtattʃi]; 28 February 1912 – 28 April 1945) was a mistress of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. She was killed by Italian partisans during Mussolini's summary execution. Daughter of Persichetti (1888–1962) and the physician Francesco Saverio Petacci (1883–1970), Clara Petacci was born into a privileged and religious family in Rome in 1912. Her father (a physician of the Holy Apostolic Palaces who for several years also had his own private clinic, "La Clinica del Sole") became a supporter of fascism.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

A child when Mussolini rose to power in the 1920s, Clara Petacci idolised him from an early age. After Violet Gibson attempted to assassinate the dictator in April 1926, the 14-year-old Petacci wrote to him commenting "O, Duce, why was I not with you? ... Could I not have strangled that murderous woman?" Clara studied music with mixed results and was a pupil of the violinist Corrado Archibugi, a friend of her parents. Petacci had a long-standing relationship with Mussolini while he was married to Rachele Mussolini.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Petacci was 28 years younger than Mussolini. They met for the first time...

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