Recently, Gardone Riviera, along with Toscolano Maderno and Gargnano, addressed the issue of the honorary citizenship conferred upon Mussolini during the period of the Italian Social Republic (RSI). Despite the revocation of this honorary citizenship by Salò, the mayors of the three municipalities do not consider this matter a priority. Officials have expressed doubts regarding the original conferment, as no official documents have been found in their respective municipal archives to confirm the existence of such an honor.
The mayor of Gargnano, Giovanni Albini, emphasized the absence of a list of honorary citizenships prior to the 1970s and does not deem it necessary to delve deeper into historical archives. Adelio Zeni, the mayor of Gardone Riviera, stated that the issue has never been discussed in the past. Chiara Chimini, the mayor of Toscolano Maderno, pointed out the challenges in obtaining useful documentation, given that the municipalities originally involved no longer exist. Consequently, the municipalities of the former RSI along the upper Garda park seem inclined to maintain the status quo regarding Mussolini’s honorary citizenship without undertaking further investigations.
