The birthplace of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini could soon start building a museum of fascism, a move likely to stir controversy in a country that already has an uneasy relationship with its World War II leader.

Predappio, a small rural community in the northern Emilia Romagna region, currently maintains the house in which Mussolini was born and his tomb.

Now its mayor, Giorgio Frassineti, says the town is a step closer to opening a new facility examining the history of fascism.

The project has already drawn criticism from some who fear it will become another place to celebrate the Adolf Hitler's wartime ally in a place that's already a magnet for neo-fascists.