The former royal residence, Villa Torlonia, which Benito Mussolini made his home between 1925 till 1943, is undergoing extensive restoration to make many more of its rooms accessible to the public. First on the list is the bunker Il Duce constructed underneath the Casino Nobile during the Second World War as protection against aircraft bombing and gas attacks. It adjoins another underground room with an imitation Etruscan tomb , created by the Torlonia princes, it is believed, to hold Massonic rites.

Three other restoration projects are also underway  the magnificent Torlonia Theatre, frescoed by Greek artist Costantino Brumidi, who also decorated the US Capitol building in the same style, the extensive villa Greenhouse and the Moresco Tower in the villa grounds.

Work began in 2007 and are expected to be completed this year. The theatre is scheduled to be ready at the beginning of August 2011, while visitors will have to wait till the end of the year to view the greenhouses and tower.