By Joel Schalit
He was eighty-six, after all. It wasn't a matter of if but when.
In and out of the hospital since 2020, first for COVID and then Leukemia, Silvio Berlusconi was clearly nearing the finish line.
That he finally succumbed to his illness on 12 June surprised no one.
The only thing unexpected was how few people showed up for Berlusconi's funeral three days later in Milano.
With the press and politicians repeatedly proclaiming his significance, it seemed like the entire country would be there.
Though police expected 10,000, Piazza Duomo was at best seventy per cent full, of tourists as much as mourners.
For news media, this was ultimately in keeping. Berlusconi's Forza Italia party is a shadow of its former self in the polls.
Still, for many Italians, Silvio Berlusconi is a hero, a man whose achievements outweigh the damage he caused to the country.
The following photos capture their investment in the former premier and the political deployment of his memory.
Photographs courtesy of the author. All rights reserved.