From Mattarella to Draghi, politics bows to Giorgio Napolitano
Also at the funeral home were Pope Francis and many citizens
Last day of opening today (until 4pm) for the funeral home of Giorgio Napolitano, the President Emeritus of the Republic who died three days ago in Rome . The secular state funeral will be celebrated tomorrow in the Montecitorio Hall at 11.30.
Ordinary citizens and big names in politics went to pay homage to him , a continuous coming and going of people. And Pope Francis also arrived surprisingly , the first time a pontiff was in the Senate.
Before him, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and former Prime Ministers Mario Draghi and Mario Monti had made their entry. But the list of visitors who paraded in front of Napolitano's coffin and the cushion with the honor of the Grand Cross, expressing their condolences to his family, is very long.
The largest group was that of the Democratic Party, led by secretary Elly Schlein and group leaders Chiara Braga and Francesco Boccia . But also the former minister Anna Finocchiaro and the former party secretaries Piero Fassino, Walter Veltroni, Nicola Zingaretti and Enrico Letta . In addition to the socialist exponent and former president of the Consulta Giuliano Amato .
Also bringing their greetings to "King George" were Francesco Rutelli with his wife Barbara Palombelli, the mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri , the European Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni , the senator elected with the Dems, but historic exponent of the DC, Pier Ferdinando Casini and the former undersecretary to the Prime Minister in the Berlusconi government Gianni Letta , parliamentarians such as Claudia Mancina, Roberto Speranza, Giuseppe Provenzano, Arturo Scotto .
Napolitano's coffin arrived at Palazzo Madama around 9am directly from the Salvator Mundi clinic, where he died on Friday evening, escorted by cuirassiers on motorcycles. The leaders of the Senate welcomed him: the president Ignazio La Russa, the general secretary Elisabetta Serafin and the deputy general secretary Federico Toniato. Alongside his wife, Clio Maria Bittoni, 89 years old, accompanied in a wheelchair into the funeral home, his sons Giovanni and Giulio and his grandchildren, the communications advisors Giovanni Matteoli (with Napolitano for 47 years) were there almost all the time. and Maurizio Caprara. The historic spokesperson Pasquale Cascella was also at Palazzo Madama.
And many citizens.
(Unioneonline/ss)
