Ski town rethinks plan to change fascist-era name

A town in the Italian Alps that planned to ditch the name it was given by fascist dictator Benito Mussolini has abandoned the idea after an outcry from Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government.

Officials in Cervinia, which is famed for its ski slopes, had planned to scrap the fascist-era name and go back to Le Breuil, its former, French-sounding name.

The switch to Cervinia in 1934 was ordered by Mussolini as part of his nationalist drive to root out foreign-sounding words.

It was taken from the nearby Mt Cervino, the Matterhorn in English. The return to Le Breuil, which means “marshland” in the local dialect, was voted for by the town council in April.

This week, however, members of Meloni’s ruling Brothers of Italy party got wind of the scheme and were outraged.

Meloni’s party is a descendant of Italy's post-war fascist party, but Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche said the fightback was less to do with nostalgia for Mussolini and more to do with keeping Cervinia's good reputation as a ski resort.