Il Duce's other woman

by Philip V. Cannistraro

When Margherita Sarfatti met Benito Mussolini in 1911 it was the beginning of a turbulent love affair that spanned Il Duce's rise to power and Margherita's emergence as an important writer and cultural adviser for the Fascist party. Sarfatti had strong ambitions in both politics and art. Many resented the enormous influence that being Mussolini's mistress afforded her, and she endured a constant barrage of challenges to her position. After the Fascists succeeded in. Edging her out of the party - and virtually from Italian history - her commitment as patroness of the arts sustained her and led her to become one of the most influential collectors of her time. Sarfatti's story remained all but unknown until authors Philip V. Cannistraro and Brian R. Sullivan began researching the private diaries and journals of the two lovers. Her passion, determination, and strength wrought great changes not only in her own life but for a nation as. Well.