His death has caused grief in Italy Silvio Berlusconiwho passed away today at the age of 86while being treated at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan.

THE body of Silvio Berlusconi was taken from the hospital to his villa in Arcore, just outside Milan, while crowds of people had gathered along the route to say goodbye to the iconic politician.

THE funeral it will be publicly spent on Wednesday in his cathedral Milan while on the day of the funeral in Italy it was preached national mourning .

Opponents and supporters pay tribute to Silvio Berlusconi

Political supporters and opponents of Italy’s former prime minister, media mogul and sports figure paid tribute to Silvio Berlusconi – one of the most influential men in Italian history, according to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The Italian President of the Republic Sergio Mattarellain his statement on the death of Berlusconi underlined that “he was a great political leader, who sealed the history of the Italian Republic”.

“As a leader he contributed to creating a new reality in Italian politics and was prime minister four times,” added Mattarella.
Finally, the Italian president referred to the “great humanity” and the successes and innovative action of Silvio Berlusconi as a businessman.

The former Prime Minister and former President of the European Commission Romano Prodi he was one of the first to greet his former political rival.

“I join in the deep condolences for the death of Silvio Berlusconi,” Prodi said of the Forza Italia leader. “I remember him as a political leader who, during his long and intense period of public engagement, exerted a great influence on life in our country, affecting not only the institutions, but also the lives of all citizens. We represented different and opposite worlds, but our rivalry never became personal and the conversation remained in the realm of mutual respect. I appreciate his support of the European cause, not least because it has been confirmed and reiterated at a time when our common European destiny has been harshly and unwisely put on the docket. My deepest condolences to his family and all his loved ones.”

“The death of Berlusconi constitutes the “end of an era. It causes great, great grief. He leaves a huge void because he was a great man. An era is over, an era is closing. I loved him very much. Goodbye Silvio”, wrote Defense Minister Guido Crozetoa leading figure in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Adelfia d’Italia (FdI) party.

The former prime minister Matteo Renzileader of the centrist Viva Italia party, said Berlusconi “wrote the history of this country”.

“Many loved him, many hated him: everyone must recognize that his impact on our political life, as well as in the spheres of economics, sports and television, was unprecedented,” Renzi said via social networking sites.

“Today Italy mourns together with his family, his loved ones, his party.”