Predappio

Predappio
—  Comune  —
Comune di Predappio
Palazzo Varano in Predappio.
Coat of arms
Predappio Location of Predappio in Italy
Coordinates: 44°06′N 11°59′E / 44.1°N 11.983°E / 44.1; 11.983
Country	Italy
Region	Emilia-Romagna
Province	Forlì-Cesena (FC)
Frazioni	Predappio Alta, Fiumana, Sant'Agostino, San Cassiano, San Savino, Santa Marina, Tontola, Trivella
Government
• Mayor	Giorgio Frassineti
Area
• Total	91 km2 (35 sq mi)
Elevation	91 m (299 ft)
Population (28 February 2010)
• Total	6,480
• Density	71/km2 (180/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	47016
Dialing code	0543
Website	Official website

Predappio is a town and comune in the province of Forlì-Cesena, in the region of Emilia-Romagna in Italy, with a population of 6,362. The town is best known for being the birthplace of Benito Mussolini, dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943. Mussolini is also buried at Predappio, and his mausoleum is a local tourist destination, as well as a site of pilgrimage for Italian neo-Fascists. In April 2009, the town council banned the sale of fascist souvenirs. [1]

History

From its origins, probably Roman, until the 1920s Predappio was a country town of modest size, situated on the hills of Forlì. Augustus divided Italy into eleven provinces and Predappio was within the sixth province. It is believed that the town name derives from the installation in those locations of an ancient Roman family: the Appi. The town was so named Praesidium Domini Appi and abbreviated to Pre.DiAppi.

Historically the town developed around the medieval castle, looking down the valley. Along the valley, about 2 km from Predappio, the town was known as Dovia (probably a corruption of the local Roman Road Duo Via).

Benito Mussolini was born here and in 1927, seizing the opportunity provided by a landslide that hit Predappio and left many people homeless, it was decided to build a bigger more prestigious township. The new town was built following the architectural dictates of the emerging new Fascist regime to celebrate the birthplace of Mussolini and became, along with the nearby Forlì, la Città del Duce (the City of the Duce): a pilgrimage of the Fascists and more lately neo-Fascists.

Twin towns

• Breuna, Germany
• Kenderes, Hungary

Notable People

Benito Mussolini Born July 29 1883

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Predappio

• Official website (Italian)
• Short presentation of the municipality (English)

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