Also on 13 October 1943, the Italian government declared war on Germany. Italy was now divided, with forces allied with Britain and America located to the south and Mussolini’s Italian Social Republic, still loyal to their Axis partner, located to the north.
The German army was already spread throughout northern and central Italy and proceeded to occupy as much of the country as it could.The former Italian embassy in Rome became the new headquarters for the Rome Gestapo. It now houses the Historical Museum of the Liberation (Museo Storico della Liberation) and is home to memorabilia and displays related to Italy’s struggle to oust the Nazi occupiers.