Petacci, Claretta (1912-1945)

Petacci, Claretta

MISTRESS (ITALY)

BORN 28 Feb 1912, Roma, Lazio - DIED 28 Apr 1945, Giolino di Mezzegra, Lombardia
BIRTH NAME Musocco, Claretta da
GRAVE LOCATION Roma, Lazio: Cimitero Monumentale del Verano, Piazzale del Verano, 1 (Ex Evangelici, riquado 89, grave 32 (mausoleum))

Claretta Petacci was the daughter of Dr. Francesco Petacci (1883-1970), who was physician to pope Pous XI. Her mother was Giuseppina Persichetti (1888-1962). She studied music under the violinist Corrado Archibugi. In 1932 she attracted Mussolini's attention when she was twenty and after a few talks they started an affair that would last until 1945. Benito Mussolini was 28 years her senior and he was married to Rachele Guidi. Clara married Riccardo Federici (1904-1972), but she separated from him in 1936.

After the fascist regime fell in 1943 she was arrested on 25 July 1943. She was released on 8 September. She moved to Gardone and lived near Mussolini. On 28 April 1945 she and Mussolini were executed by partisans. She was shot in her chest, possibly because she wanted to protect Mussolini or because she was an inconvenient witness. Their bodies were hung on display at an Esso petrol station in Milan. She was buried under the false name of Rita Colfosco at the Cimitero Maggiore in Milan until her body was transferred to the family grave in Rome on 16 March 1956.

Related persons
• is brother/sister of San Servolo, Miriam di

Images
The grave of Claretta Petacci at the Cimitero Monumentale al Verano, Rome. Picture by Androom (28 Feb 2015)	The grave of Claretta Petacci at the Cimitero Monumentale al Verano, Rome. Picture by Androom (28 Feb 2015)