The well-known Pogradec researcher Ledjan Zeqollari has provided two photos of Benito Mussolini in his visit to the village of Zemçë in Mokër, during the Italian-Greek war front in 1941.

According to the historian, the Italian dictator in March 41 visited almost all the forces of the Italian army concentrated in the Greek war from Ohrid to Himara.

“The visit of Benito Mussolini took place in the context of the Italo-Greek war during the Second World War. It was done mainly to inspect the Italo-Greek front. Up to that period things were not going well in terms of combat ratio for the Italian army, there were a lot of losses and on March 2, 1941 Benito Mussolini himself inspected this front, with the sole purpose of raising the morale of the Italian army.We find this proven in two photos that I provided, which prove Mussolini’s visit on March 18, 1941 to the village of Zemçë”, said Ledjan Zeqollari, historian.

Reshat Isallari, a resident of the village of Zemçë, says that the Italian forces who were in his village asked the Isallari family to vacate their apartment for a few days because Benito Mussolini would stay there.

“In March 41, a company of soldiers came to our family and told the family, it was a two-story house, they told them that they would leave for a few months because we will settle here. After a week, Mussolini came and they arranged a room for him. The Italians fixed it themselves. Today this apartment does not exist, it was demolished in 1975,” said Reshat Isallari, a resident of the village Zemçë.

The researcher Ledjan Zeqollari informs that Mussolini’s visit to Mokre and Lin lasted nearly 20 days.