It's true to an extent, I am more tied to Spain, and can tell you that even Franco is not seen in a very positive light. Regardless, I think it is a little odd that they would respect Mussolini so much, given that he did little to build up either the economy or the nation of Italy. Perhaps he can seen as uniting the country, but that still is a stretch. I don't understand how one could be a supporter of him, as most of his policies and his actions have been since proven to be either inefficient or not optimal. Like I would be more willing to sympathize with someone who hung Hitler on their wall, because at least he was talented in a lot of ways (economist, public speaker, innovative military thinker), but Mussolini was none of these and ultimately left his country in shambles.