A forestry plantation in Italy that spells out Dux – Latin for Duce, the title by which Mussolini was known – has gone up in smoke from one of the many wild fires that have swept the country in recent days.

The 20,000 fir trees, which were planted on the slopes of Monte Giano in 1939 and spell out D-U-X in huge letters, can on a clear day be seen from Rome, 50 miles to the south.

Intended as a tribute to Benito Mussolini, they are still regarded fondly by some Italians but are seen as a shameful reminder of the country’s Fascist past by others.