Virna Lisi was "an extraordinary woman" and a "symbol of beauty and elegance", Premier Matteo Renzi said in a homage to the award-winning Italian film star who died on Thursday aged 78.
Renzi was echoed by speaker of the Lower House Laura Boldrini, who described the late actress as "an icon of our cinema".
"With her has gone a free and courageous woman, of great
ability and rare beauty, and yet an anti-diva," Boldrini wrote
on her Facebook page.
"She was never afraid of growing old, she left the signs of
age on her always splendid face. An authentic woman who we will
miss," she concluded.
Culture Minister Dario Franceschini played up Lisi's
versatility as an actress, which won her numerous awards.
He also paid homage to an "even rarer quality: that of
maintaining all her talents within an aura of sobriety and
style".
"The world of show-business loses a major protagonist,"
concluded Franceschini, recalling how Lisi not only worked with
the most important Italian and international directors but also
her many parts on stage and the small screen.
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