On April 28, 1945, Milan is a city in turmoil, suspended between the end of the war and the beginning of a new era. Fascism collapses with the tragic death of Benito Mussolini, hung in Piazzale Loreto, while he crowd gathers to witness the end of the dictator. It is the day of a revolution within a revolution, where history is fulfilled, but the fate of many individuals is intertwined with the transition from an oppressive regime to an uncertain future.

Among them, Carnera, a Spanish anarchist exile, emerges as a central figure. While Milan prepares to be reborn, he crosses the city in search of a lost comrade and a new battle to fight. His journey is one of personal redemption, a symbol of hope for those who have fought against oppression and violence.
His figure, silent but determined, embodies the struggle for a different future, far from any authoritarianism.

Alongside him, Daniele Colpani, “The Voice” of fascist propaganda, is hunted by the partisans and aware that the regime is now over, but he struggles to accept it. His voice, which for years fueled fascism, is now silent, as fate catches up with him. The Pretino, a young seminarian, hopes to see the Madonnina finally freed from the black veils that have covered it throughout the war. His faith wavers in the face of the reality of violence and politics, but he remains fixed on the hope of a rebirth. In the chaos of a Milan reclaiming its freedom, Scheggia, a tram driver who supported the Resistance, is another face of a popular revolution made of anger, hope, revenge, and dreams of a different Italy. Everything converges at Piazzale Loreto, where Mussolini’s death marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new Italy, still to be built.

About Paolo Maggioni

Paolo Maggioni is from Milan and he is a journalist at Rai, serving as a correspondent for Rai News 24. He has a mentor, Beppe Viola, and teaches at the Master’s program in Journalism at the Catholic University of Milan.