History Literature / TheSecretOfSantaVittoria

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Von Prum and Traub disipline one of their motorcyclists harassing Angela that prompted Fabio to leap to her defense following by apologizing to Bombolini for his undisciplined soldier's crime. Later, [[spoiler:Von Prum ultimately KnowWhenToFoldEm when he reveals he WouldNotShootACivilian after trying to bluff threatening the town for their wine]].

* CorruptHick: The local Fascist officials provide a European version of this, stealing all of the local treasury, and using their influence to set up monopolies on the local trades.

* UnfriendlyFire: Tufa, a former Facist officer who took a long time to realize it was time to give up the fight, was non-fatally shot in the back by several of his own deserting men at one point.

* BatmanGambit: Because TortureAlwaysWorks, when Von Prum declares that he will have five people tortured to find out the truth, Bombolini tells him that he's asked for volunteers, only to have the people send out several of the Facist officials who've been held captive (and really don't know where the wine is) out into the square, telling them that their being released and there's someone in the square who wants to see them.

* BatmanGambit: Because TortureAlwaysWorks, when Von Prum declares that he will have five people tortured to find out the truth ,Bombolini tells him that he's asked for volunteers, only to have the people send out several of the Facist officials who've been held captive (and really don't know where the wine is) out into the square, telling them that their being released and there's someone in the square who wants to see them.

* CorruptHick: The local Facist officials provide a European version of this, stealing all of the local treasury, and using their influence to set up monopolies on the local trades.

* KnowWhenToFoldEm: The Facist village council decides to quickly and dramatically surrender before anyone decides to kill them, and due to mistaking Bombolini for the leader of the mob, bestow the mayors chain on him.

Italy, 1943: [[UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini Mussolini]] has been ousted from power, and change is coming to the village of Santa Vittoria. The supposed [[TheFool village idiot]], Italo Bombolini, has been appointed the new mayor. German occupiers are heading for the village, and a sense of panic arises about what to do with the local supply of unique wine (more than a million bottles in all). A plan comes to hide it from the Germans, led by Captain Sepp von Prum. The plan succeeds, and for a time the Germans are none the wiser. However, they gradually come to realize that they have been deceived, and work feverishly to find the wine, going to increasingly grim lengths.

* CaptainSmoothAndSergeantRough: Von Prum and Traub, although by the end of the story Von Prem is a lot less smooth and Traub has slightly softened.

* LastMinuteReprieve: Subverted with the story of of a condemned criminal from centuries earlier, who was DefiantToTheEnd when suddenly he received a 30-day stay of execution. When the thirty days were up, the authorities had reviewed his case and decided not to spare him after all, but that previous HopeSpot caused him to go to the gallows unwillingly, desperately hoping for a second reprieve due to no longer being prepared to die like he had been the first time. In the main story [[spoiler: Von Prem stops Tufa's execution due to his lover offering herself to him]].

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Bombolini gives Von Prem a fairly restrained one for all he did, and did of his own free will, trying to get them to reveal the wine.

* SanitySlippage /TookALevelInJerkass: Von Prem, as he fails to find the wine.

* ThoseWackyNazis: Von Pruum, his men and his superiors get portrayed with a mixture of bumblingness and genuine menace.

* TyrantTakesTheHelm: Zigzagged, Colonel Scheer doesn't take command away from Von Prum, and Von Prum is ruthless enough himself, but it is Scheer's visit to the village, and beratingly ordering Von Prem to find the wine that make him more tyrannical.

* LastMinuteReprieve: Subverted with the story of of a condemned criminal from centuries earlier who was DefiantToTheEnd when suddenly he received a 30 day stay of execution. When the thirty days were up, the authorities had reviewed his case and decided not to spare him after all, but that previous HopeSpot caused him to go to the gallows unwillingly, desperately hoping for a second reprieve due to no longer being prepared to die like he had been the first time. In the main story [[spoiler: Von Prem stops Tufa's execution due to his lover offering herself to him]].

* FantasticRacism: Many of the Germans display this towards the Italians. The American bomber crew also display this towards the one Italian in their crew, considering him to be disloyal and untrustworthy now that their taking the fight to his homeland [[{{Hypocrite}} even while admitting that they would react with violence at someone asking them to bomb ''their'' homes]].

Italy, 1943: [[UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini Mussolini]] has been ousted from power, and change is coming to the village of Santa Vittoria. VillageIdiot Italo Bombolini has been appointed the new mayor. German occupiers are heading for the village, and a sense of panic arises about what to do with the villages supply of unique wine (over a million bottles in all). A plan comes to hide it from the Germans, led by Captain Sepp Von Prum. The plan succeeds, and for a time the Germans are none the wiser. Gradually, however, they begin to realize they have been deceived, and work feverishly to find the wine, going to increasingly grim lengths.

A [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptation]], directed by Creator/StanleyKramer and starring Creator/AnthonyQuinn, Creator/VirnaLisi, Hardy Krüger, Sergio Franchi and Anna Magnani, was released in 1969. It was nominated for six UsefulNotes/{{Golden Globe Award}}s (winning for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical) and two UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s.

Italy, 1943: [[UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini Mussolini]] has been ousted from power, and change is coming to the village of Santa Vittoria. VillageIdiot Italo Bombolini has been appointed the new mayor. German occupiers are heading for the village, and a sense of panic arises about what to do with the villages supply of unique wine (over a million bottles in all). A plan comes to hide it from the Germans, led by Captain Sepp Von Prum. The plan succeeds, and for a time, the Germans are none the wiser. But gradually, they begin to realize they have been deceived, and work feverishly hard to find the wine, going to increasingly grim lengths.

* YouMonster: Fabio declares this while being tortured, refusing to give in.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_secret_of_aanta_vittoria.jpg]]

Mussolini is dead, and change is coming to the village of Santa Vittoria. VillageIdiot Italo Bombolini has been appointed the new mayor. German occupiers are heading for the village, and a sense of panic arises about what to do with the villages supply of unique wine (over a million bottles in all). A plan comes to hide it from the Germans, led by Captain Sepp Von Prum. The plan succeeds, and for a time, the Germans are none the wiser. But gradually, they begin to realize they have been deceived, and work feverishly hard to find the wine, going to increasingly grim lengths. [[TheFilmOfTheBook It was made into an Academy Award nominated movie in 1968]].

This book contains examples of:

Mussolini is dead, and change is coming to the village of Santa Vittoria. VillageIdiot Italo Bombolini has been appointed the new mayor. German occupiers are heading for the village, and a sense of panic arises about what to do with the villages supply of unique wine (over a million bottles in all). A plan comes to hide it from the Germans, led by Captain Sepp Von Prum. The plan succeeds, and for a time, the Germans are none the wiser. But gradually, they begin to realize they have been deceived, and work feverishly hard to find the wine, going to increasingly grim lengths. [[TheFilmOfTheBook made into an Academy Award nominated movie in 1968]].

* CaptainSmoothAndSergeantRough: Von Prem and Traub, although by the end of the story Von Prem is a lot less smooth and Traub has slightly softened.

* DeathSeeker: Letters from Captain Von Prem's brother, a soldier on the Russian Front, make it clear that he's becoming one, and his last letter outright states that he's login to let himself get killed.

* IShallTauntYou: Once Von Prem and his men are finally being forced to leave, Bombolini confirms to him that there really was wine there that they couldn't find, and that he isn't telling them where it was, to let them agonize over it for the rest of their lives.

* LastMinuteReprieve: Subverted with the story of of a condemned criminal from centuries earlier who was DefiantToTheEnd when suddenly he received a 30 day stay of execution. When the thirty days were up, the authorities had reviewed his case and decided not to spare him after all, but that previous HopeSpot caused him to go to the gallows unwillingly, desperately hoping for a second reprieve due to no longer being prepared to die like he had been the first time. In the main story [[spoiler: Von Prem stops Tufa's execution due to his lvoer offering herself to him]].

* LighterAndSofter: The film adaptation, which omits a lot of the torture (specifically the details of it), Von Prem's darker nature, Tufa's DefiledForever feelings towards his girlfriend, Von Prem's suicidal brother, and the execution.

* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Von Prem is a firm believer in this. His brother isn't, based on the content of his letters.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Bombolini does feel some guilt over the gruesome success of his BatmanGambit. Von Prem does have a couple moments as well, most notably when he fails to call off an execution in time.
* NotInThisForYourRevolution: Many of the townspeople aren’t too concerned about the overthrow of Mussolini until Babbaluche points out that it removes the protection awarded to the local Facist party officials, and they deliver a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown to the first one to arrive on the scene.
* {{Paperworkaholic}}: Von Prem is a meticulous keeper of records, and copies all of his personal correspondence (being forced to leave a lot of it behind when he leaves town).

* ThoseTwoBadGuys: TortureTechnician's Hans and Otto.
* THoseWackyNazis: Von Prem, his men and his superiors get portrayed with a mixture of bumblingness and genuine menace.

* TyrantTakesTheHelm: Zigzagged, Colonel Scheer doesn't take command away from Von Prem, and Von Prem is ruthless enough himself, but it is Scheer's visit to the village, and beratingly ordering Von Prem to find the wine that make him more tyrannical.

* BatmanGambit: Because TortureAlwaysWorks, when Von Prum declares that he will have five people tortured to find out the truth ,Bombolini tells him that he's asked for volunteers, only to have the people send out several of the Facist officials who've been held captive (and really don't know where the wine is) out into the square.

* TheFool: Bombolini has this reputation, although he quickly matures with real power. He stumbles into the mayors office because the crowd was cheering for him for painting over a sign praising Mussolini at the top of the water tower, and the city officials about to surrender mistook that sound for the mob proclaiming them his leader.

* TortureAlwaysWorks: Firmly believed by Tufa and many of the others, although in the end subverted.
* TragicDropout: Lugo.

* UnfriendlyFire: Tufa, a former Racist officer who took a long time to realize it was time to give up the fight, was nonfatal shot in the back by several of his own deserting men at one point.

Mussolini is dead, and change is coming to the village of Santa Vittoria. VillageIdiot Italo Bombolini has been appointed the new mayor. German occupiers are heading for the village, and a sense of panic arises about what to do with the villages supply of unique wine (over a million bottles in all). A plan comes to hide it from the Germans, led by Captain Sepp Von Prum. The plan succeeds, and for a time, the Germans are none th wiser. But gradually, they begin to realize they have been deceived, and work feverishly hard to find the wine, login to increasingly grim lengths. [[TheFilmOfTheBook made into an Academy Award nominated movie in 1968]].

* LighterAndSofter: The film adaptation, which omits a lot of the torture (specifically the details of it), Von Prem's darker nature, Tufa's DefiledForever feelings towards his girlfriend, Von Pref's brother, and the execution.

* FantasticRacism: Many of the Germans display this towards the Italians.

* IShallTauntYou: Once Von Prum and his men are finally being forced to leave, Bombolini confirms to him that there really was wine there that they couldn't find, and that he isn't telling them where it was, to let them agonize over it for the rest of their lives.

* LighterAndSofter: The film adaptation, which omits a lot of the torture (specifically the details of it), Von Prem's darker nature, and the execution.

* LighterAndSofter: The film adaptation.

* NotInThisForYourRevolution: Many of the townspeople aren’t too concerned about the overthrow of Mussolini until they realize it removes the protection awarded to the local Facist party officials.