Italy declares a national day of mourning for Silvio Berlusconi

Funeral details have been announced for former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi after he lost a long battle with a rare blood cancer.

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has died, aged 86. Picture: Getty Images

Italy has declared a national day of mourning for Wednesday, when former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s funeral will be held.

Berlusconi died on Monday aged 86 following a battle with a rare type of blood cancer. Mourners laid flowers and notes outside Villa San Martino, Berlusconi’s home near Milan, with one reading simply “we will miss you”.

Berlusconi will have a state funeral in Milan’s gothic Duomo Cathedral on Wednesday.

All Italian and European flags on public buildings will be lowered to half mast from Monday nationwide, a government spokesman told AFP.

The former PM was hit with a series of sex scandals. Picture: Getty Images

The death of the billionaire media mogul, who described himself as the “Jesus Christ of politics”, has drawn tributes from leaders around the world.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he counted Berlusconi as one of his closest friends in the West.

“For me Silvio was a cherished person and a true friend,” Mr Putin said in a telegram to the Italian president released by the Kremlin on Monday. “His passing is an irreparable loss and a great sorrow.”

The 70-year-old Russian leader said that he admired the Italian’s wisdom and ability to make “far-sighted decisions even in the most difficult situations.”

He praised Berlusconi’s “incredible vitality, optimism and sense of humour.”

In Russia, Mr Putin said, he will be remembered as a “principled” supporter of strengthening ties with Italy and for always putting “the interests of the Fatherland above all else”.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban tweeted: “Gone is the great fighter”, while Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “Silvio was a great friend of Israel”.

Silvio Berlusconi with Vladimir Putin in 2010. Picture: Getty Images

Mr Berlusconi led Italy three times between 1994 and 2011, for a total of nine years, wooing voters with a promise of economic success, only to be forced out as a debt crisis gripped his country.

But his influence extended well beyond politics, thanks to his extensive TV, newspaper and sporting interests, while his playboy antics kept him in the headlines even in his final years.

European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that she was “saddened” by the death of Mr Berlusconi, while Pope Francis hailed his “energetic temperament”.

Italian ex-prime minister Matteo Renzi said that Berlusconi had “made history”, even if he was controversial.

The controversial former PM with his mother Rosa. Picture: AFP

“Many loved him, many hated him: everyone today must recognise that his impact on political but also economic, sporting and television life was unprecedented,” he said.

Charismatic, clownish and with a fine grasp of what his audiences wanted, Mr Berlusconi used his media interests to project an image of a strong, self-made man that voters could emulate – a tactic later used by US president Donald Trump.

Mr Berlusconi “ignited and polarised the public debate perhaps like no other”, former prime minister Giuseppe Conte said on Facebook.

“And even those who faced him as a political opponent must recognise that he never lacked courage, passion, (and) tenacity,” he wrote.

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has died, aged 86. Picture: AFP

BERLUSCONI TAKEN TO HOSPITAL

Mr Berlusconi had been admitted to a Milan hospital on Friday for what aides said were pre-planned tests related to leukaemia.

His admission came just three weeks after he was discharged following a six-week stay at Milan’s San Raffaele hospital, during which time doctors revealed he had a rare type of blood cancer.

He underwent intensive therapy to battle the disease, but to no avail.

The politician had shared a tweet at the time thanking people for their concern alongside a snap of him smiling at home.

Silvio Berlusconi with then US president Barack Obama and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev during the 2009 G20 summit. Picture: AFP

Mr Berlusconi wrote: “I have already returned to work on the main themes of these days, ready and determined to commit myself, as I always have, to the country I love”.

He is survived by his 33-year-old girlfriend, Marta Fascina, two ex-wives and five children, some of whom help run his empire, recently estimated to be worth around $7 billion.

Berlusconi built a Pharaoh-inspired marble mausoleum at his villa in Arcore, near Milan, to house his family and friends when they die. It was not yet confirmed whether he would be buried there.

Silvio Berlusconi presents a crucifix to the late Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. Picture: AFP

Berlusconi began his career as a real estate magnate before investing in television channels which broke the mould in Italy, featuring shows particularly popular with housewives, later a pillar of his electorate.

His empire also included football -- he reigned supreme at AC Milan from 1986 until 2017, during which time the club won 29 trophies.

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi with former US president George Bush in July 2001 prior to the first G-8 working session at Palazzo Ducale in Genoa. Picture: AFP

The club said in a tribute that it was “grieving the passing of the unforgettable Silvio Berlusconi” and “Thank you, Mr President. Always with us”.

Mr Berlusconi portrayed himself as both messiah and martyr and enjoyed widespread popularity, though detractors accused him of cronyism, corruption and pushing through laws to protect his own interests.

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi pictured with his then wife Veronica Lario in Rome in June 2004. Picture: AFP

Karima El-Mahroug, aka ‘Ruby the Heart Stealer’. Picture: AFP

His fans admired his plain speaking, though many Italians were acutely embarrassed by his crude jokes and insults on the international stage, as well as his endless legal cases, which resulted in one conviction for corporate tax fraud.

And while Italy’s economy floundered, the self-professed playboy was hosting notorious “bunga bunga” sex parties, which triggered a series of trials that were only wrapped up in recent months.

Silvio Berlusconi, pictured here aged 85, with his girlfriend Marta Fascina. He shared the photo with a note wishing her a happy 32nd birthday.

In 2010, 17-year-old Karima El-Mahroug, known as Ruby the Heart Stealer, claimed to have been paid by Berlusconi for sex. He was later also accused of bribing witnesses to lie about the parties, though he was ultimately acquitted.

Mr Berlusconi served as Italy’s prime minister on three occasions, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011.

He also owned Italian football club AC Milan between 1986 and 2017 and bought the team in 2018.

In those 31 years, AC Milan won 29 trophies.