The Duce in Ponza, Italy
Ponza, Italy is an authentic European town with no touristy shops, no fast foods, and no crowds. So remote and inconspicuous, it is an excellent destination for World War II history buffs. You arrive by tender or ferry at the marina full of weathered commercial boats and scruffy private sailing vessels lining the high sea wall of the Pontine Island. Rugged men sell comic books and plastic toys at their newspaper stands. Locals zip through the main waterfront street on vespas and motor scooters. Taxis minibuses are abundant, which is fantastic since aside from the small restaurants, a pharmacy, and an ice cream shop, there is nothing to see.
Nothing to see for those who lack imagination, anyway. Practice your Italian so you can easily give instructions to the taxi driver as to where you want to go. There is little information published about the island and you should have an idea of what you would like to see ahead of time. You can climb the mountainside, ideally in a vehicle, and view the town from above with a sta
tue of Queen Mary over your shoulder. It is a short trip; however, the taxi fair is high.
Persistence reaps rewards. If you ask numerous taxi drivers, you will find one who not only speaks more than one language, and possibly yours, but also he will know where the most famous house in Ponza is located.
Benito Mussolini, the Duce, was captured and taken to Ponza, Italy. He was held hostage for eight days before being transported to a different location. Most residents fain no knowledge of the previous Italian leader, but it only takes one man who knows the way, up the hill, through the town, down several disjointed streets too narrow for a bicyclist to feel safe. At the end of a rutted road, hidden from the main thoroughfare, ocean waves strike the backyards of untidy homes. There, across the street from an outdoor bar that relies on old tires and discarded novelties for decoration, you find the historical location.
The men of Ponza sipping beers at picnic benches in an outdoor bar painted in pinks and yellows do not recall the incident. The owner of the house where the Duce was imprisoned hoses the path in front of the yellow building. Villagers stop listening to their boom boxes to see 
why anyone would stop and photograph the old structure. It is kept up better than the surrounding homes. Bougainvillea blooms up one wall and a welcome mat invites people inside, but not to see the rooms where the Duce lay awake at night, wondering if this time it would be the end. A different shop is resident of the special home. The Duce was taken to a different location where he was eventually released and reinstated as Italy’s leader with his execution arising from a later capture. In this bright yellow building, there is no evidence anyone willing to collude with Nazis ever took notes about his life, ever prayed for his mistress, or ever planned for Italy’s liberated future. But you will know and you will tell.
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