In front of his villa, Berlusconi admirers arrive for a last salute

June 12, 2023

The road leading to Villa San Martino in Arcore, near Milan, home to the luxurious residence where Silvio Berlusconi’s body was brought, is blocked to road traffic by the police. But his admirers are numerous to run for a last salute.

Flags of Forza Italia are hung on the hedge which borders the villa, and scarves of the clubs of Milan and Monza have been placed with bouquets of flowers on the lawn. “Grazie Silvio”, read on some labels.

“I voted for him until the end, even if at the end there were all the extra-political cases, for which he was almost always acquitted”, confides to AFP Danilo Ravasi, a 63-year-old retiree living in the area, who says he is “moved”.

“Berlusconi was God for me, with the difference that God does not exist (…) I am sad but happy to have lived the time of Berlusconi”, launches Nicolò Moretti, a 41-year-old entrepreneur from Siena ( Tuscany) with his wife, leaving a bouquet of flowers.

Died of leukemia at the age of 86, the sulphurous billionaire will have left a lasting mark on Italian political life and in the memory of many Italians. The older ones as well as the younger ones.

Elisabetta, a 48-year-old teacher, remembers above all “her ability to hold on over time despite the obstacles”. “He always went after what he did, for good or for bad. We must recognize that, whether we agree with him or not”, underlines this resident of Arcore.

Moved Italians kept coming, both in front of the villa and in front of the hospital where he was being treated.

“He is immortal, he will always be with us,” assured AFP Carla Ballarini, 75, who rushed to San Raffaele hospital as soon as the death of the former chairman of the council was announced.

“I have always admired him, like all of our family. For his generosity, his kindness, everything he has done for us,” explained the retiree.

Held at a distance by police officers and carabinieri, the journalists besieged the entrance to the hospital where Silvio Berlusconi’s brother, Paolo, and the tycoon’s three daughters had arrived early in the morning.

Samuele Nebulioni, a 22-year-old international relations student, came with a bouquet of flowers.

In his eyes, the founder of Forza Italia, an extra force for the ultra-conservative executive from the 2022 legislative elections, “was the greatest liberal in Italian history”.

He remembers his “skirmishes” with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with a radically different style. “He at least had the merit of making Italy talk”.

Hated by his adversaries for his arrogance, his sometimes coarse language, his machismo, the mix between politics and business, Silvio Berlusconi was adored by a part of the population who reveled in his slippages and associated him with the golden age. of the Italian economy.

Appearing to be both fervent Christian and libertine, seductive and provocative, he left no one indifferent.

“Even if I was not on his political side, he marked the history of Italy. We especially remember his shock sentences”, justified Francesco Papale, a 19-year-old student.

Surrounded by fans of the “Cavaliere”, a woman preferring to remain anonymous admits having “admired him as an entrepreneur”. “But I stopped voting for him very early because of the scandals. I was very disappointed with the politician,” she nuances.

Fernando, a 71-year-old retiree, is a fan. He is not stingy with superlatives. He says he will attend the funeral, announced for Wednesday.

“He was a great entrepreneur, he built Italy. He was an important man for me, I had goosebumps when I saw on TV that he was dead.”

At the same time, a man walks by shouting, “He stole Italy!”