Rome, 6 October (AKI) - Rome's mayor Gianni Alemanno said that a Holocaust museum will be built starting in 2010 in Villa Torlonia, once the residence of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, located in the Italian capital.

"We have entered the operative phase (of the project. We are aiming to publish the tenders for the building of the museum of the 'Shoah' (Holocaust) by the beginning of next year," said Rome's mayor Gianni Alemanno, quoted by Italian media.

In the gardens of Villa Torlonia there are also miles of third to fourth century Jewish catacombs. The project, however, had been announced in 2004 during the administration of the previous mayor, Walter Veltroni, from the centre-left Democratic Party.

"Activities in the museum have begun even if they are not visible. Up until now, there has been an enormous amount of work done on the archive, purchased material and public relations," said the head of the province of Rome Nicola Zingaretti.

"I am confident that Rome will soon have one of the most beautiful museums in the world."

The president of the Shoah Museum Foundation Leon Passerman - who is also the head of the Jewish community in Rome - said he is optimistic "that it (the museum) will be inaugurated in 2012".