Podcast Summary: Acontece que no es poco | Mussolini, de fascista a guiñapo

Podcast: Todo Concostrina
Host: Nieves Concostrina (with Carlos as co-host)
Date: April 27, 2023

Overview

In this episode of "Acontece que no es poco," Nieves Concostrina uses her signature humor and incisive style to narrate the bizarre, almost farcical downfall and afterlife of Benito Mussolini, the Italian fascist dictator. The episode coincides with Italy's Liberation Day and examines not only Mussolini's ignominious end but also the strange fate of his corpse, lampooning both the dictator and his lingering cult following.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Context of Mussolini's Demise

• Connection to Recent Events: The episode begins by linking the fall of Mussolini (April 25, 1945—Italy’s Liberation Day) to other milestones for democracy such as Portugal’s Revolution of the Carnations.

• Concostrina’s Tone: Right from the start, Nieves sharply criticizes fascist leaders, calling Mussolini a “mamarracho” (buffoon) and mocking the cult of personality that persists around dictators.

  "Son mamarrachos que solo destacan por su maldad, por sus complejos... auténticos indigentes intelectuales gestionando un país." — Nieves Concostrina (02:15)

2. Mussolini’s Attempted Escape and Capture

• Historical Recap: On April 27, 1945, Mussolini attempted to flee Italy with his lover Clara Petacci, her brother, and others. They disguised themselves, carrying two million dollars, but were caught near the Swiss border.

  "Acabó huyendo como una rata y muriendo como una cucaracha. Por fascista." — Nieves Concostrina (02:57)

• Sandro Pertini's Role: The future Italian president Sandro Pertini announced Mussolini’s capture and impending execution over the radio.

  "La decisión del Comité de Liberación Nacional era que Mussolini debía ser fusilado como un perro rabioso." — Nieves Concostrina (05:10)

3. Mussolini’s Execution and the Public Spectacle

• Symbolic Retribution: Mussolini and others were shot and their bodies displayed in Piazzale Loreto, Milan, a site previously tainted by fascist executions of partisans.

• Public Rage and Ritual: The desecration of Mussolini’s corpse (stoning, urination, hanging upside down) is detailed, with Concostrina noting this mirrored Mussolini’s own brutality against Ethiopians and Yugoslavs.

  “Lo de colgarlos en la gasolinera cabeza abajo tenía su explicación... así colgaba el ejército de Mussolini a los etíopes en 1937 y a los yugoslavos en 1942.” — Nieves Concostrina (06:24)

4. The Absurd Odyssey of Mussolini’s Remains

• Immediate Aftermath: Mussolini was first buried in an “anonymous” grave, which quickly became known, leading fascist followers to exhume his body in 1946.

• A Series of Hiding Places: The corpse was hidden in a car trunk and moved around Milan for weeks (09:12), then stashed in a convent wardrobe by Father Parini, who later confessed to the archbishop, leading to government intervention.

  "Podemos decir literalmente que a Mussolini lo aparcaron en Milán." — Nieves Concostrina (08:02)

• Ten-Year Exile in a Convent: Eventually, Mussolini’s remains spent ten years hidden under an altar in the Capuchin convent of Cerro Maggiore (11:00).

  "El superior del convento lo ocultó primero bajo un altar... ¿Un fascista asesino en un altar?" — Nieves Concostrina (10:55)

• Family’s Campaign & Final Interment: After lobbying from his widow, the remains were ultimately returned to his hometown of Predappio, where they became a site of fascist pilgrimage.

5. The Bizarre Afterlife: Relics and Internet Auctions

• Neofascist Cult: Mussolini’s crypt sees regular visits on key dates, reflecting an ongoing fascination among Italian neofascists.

• Sale of Body Parts Online: In 2012/13, alleged samples of Mussolini’s blood and brain appeared for auction on eBay, as denounced by his granddaughter Alessandra.

  "La nieta Alessandra Mussolini... denunció... la venta por Internet de sangre y restos del cerebro de Mussolini... Supongo que para clonarlo, que lo mismo ya está clonado. Lo mismo en la Meloni." — Nieves Concostrina (13:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Dictators and Their Followers:

  "No sé qué clase de personas jaleaban o jalean a tipos como Mussolini, como Hitler, como Franco, como Trump, como Bolsonaro." — Nieves Concostrina (01:40)

• On Historical Ironies:

  “Fueron los únicos europeos que se cargaron a su dictador fascista. Y es cierto, fueron los únicos.” — Nieves Concostrina (06:08)

• On Mussolini’s Corpse:

  "Después de tenerlo metido en el altar, lo sacaron de ahí porque olía, y lo metieron en otro armario." — Nieves Concostrina (11:02)

• On the Absurdity of Literal Body Snatching:

  “¿Dónde lo ponemos a todo esto?... No se puede estar dando vueltas eternamente con un muerto en el maletero.” — Carlos y Nieves (09:10–09:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:15–02:40: Introducción; contexto democrático y primeras críticas a Mussolini y otros dictadores.
• 02:41–05:06: Liberación italiana, caída y captura de Mussolini, Sandro Pertini y la decisión de ejecución.
• 05:54–06:55: Juicio público y espectáculo macabro con el cadáver de Mussolini en la Plaza Loreto.
• 07:55–09:02: El cuerpo robado y movido por Milán en un coche.
• 09:12–11:11: Escondites del cadáver, implicación del clero, y el miedo del arzobispo Schuster.
• 11:16–12:38: Diez años de ocultamiento en convento capuchino y el papel de la viuda de Mussolini.
• 12:44–13:44: Estado actual del cadáver, subastas online de restos y reflexiones finales.

Tone & Style

• Language: Sarcastic, irreverent, and direct. Nieves Concostrina employs humor, irony, and vivid language to criticize fascism and ridicule the mythologizing of dictators.
• Approach: Combines historical rigor with a colloquial, popular style, making complex history engaging and memorable.

Summary Takeaway

This episode not only recounts the fall of Mussolini but also denounces the surreality and danger of personality cults—exposed through the farcical misadventures of his remains. Nieves Concostrina uses both laughter and outrage to keep history alive and cautionary, reminding listeners that the true lesson lies not in the fate of the “guiñapo de Mussolini,” but in the need to keep fascism where it belongs: in the garbage bin of history.