Former Italian president Oscar Luigi Scalfaro died overnight, aged 93, media announced yesterday.

Mr Scalfaro held the post of president from 1992 to 1999, taking over from Francesco Cossiga.

Born on September 9, 1918 in the northern Italian town of Novara, Mr Scalfaro began his career as a magistrate in 1943, but went into politics in 1946, when he was elected to Parliament.

He was one of the rare politicians in Italy to have held three of the country's top posts, head of state, President of the Senate and speaker of the lower house of Parliament.

He also served as interior minister in the 1980s in the two governments formed by Socialist Bettino Craxi.

In 1999, when his presidential term came to an end, he became a senator for life, a privilege accorded to all former Italian presidents.

'He was a protagonist in Italian politics and democracy for decades, embodying ideals and moral integrity,' current president Giorgio Napolitano said in tribute to his predecessor.

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