Rapiniamo il Duce

In the spring of 1945 Milan is reduced to ruins. The war has almost come to an end: the Allies and the Resistance are about to wipe out what remains of a regime now ready to flee. Isola, a black-market smuggler, does everything to survive, as does his clandestine girlfriend Yvonne, who sings in the only remaining nightclub in the city and is forced to endure the attentions of a fascist hierarch. One day, Isola and his comrades intercept a coded message that reveals where Mussolini has hidden his immense treasure: in the “black zone” of Milan, where he is waiting to organize his escape to Switzerland to avoid capture by the partisans. Isola cannot miss out on the opportunity to make the biggest heist in history and organises everything to the smallest detail. However, it will not be easy to implement the plan and the only option may be to kidnap the Duce and have him lead them to the hidden treasure.

Perhaps not everyone knows that several scenes of this film set in Lombardy were shot in Friuli Venezia Giulia: the same “black zone” of Milan is none other than the area of Porto Vecchio and Palazzo Carciotti. The region is also the protagonist of the last evocative scenes of the film, which is the background of the unspoiled nature of the lakes of Fusine, in the municipality of Tarvisio. These are two lakes of glacial origin, one upper and the other lower, connected by an underground water system; this environment is one of the coldest in Italy and those who visit it in winter know it well, when they can admire the spectacle of the crystals on the lakes’ frozen surfaces and the white blanket that covers the surrounding forest.

The lakes are also the starting point for beautiful nature walks, accessible to all, including the path that leads to the Zacchi Alpine Hut, a panoramic point for refreshments and relaxation, which can be reached through a service road.