Tours of Ceausescu's villa eschew mention of his dictatorship

Bucharest

IN the 24 years that Nicolae Ceausescu ruled Romania, the mansion where he lived with his wife Elena was shrouded in secrecy.

No ordinary citizen could get near the villa in a well-heeled neighbourhood in northern Bucharest. But rumours abounded about its lavish décor: the gold-plated bathroom fixtures; the closets packed with Elena's furs, clothing and shoes; and the mosaic-lined indoor swimming pool.