In pictures: Alberto Sordi's funeral

In pictures: Alberto Sordi's funeral

1 of 12 Actor Alberto Sordi's death was greeted with sadness across Italy. BBC News Online looks back at three days of mourning.

2 of 12 Sordi dances with Ingrid Bergman in 1956. The actor starred in more than 160 films.

3 of 12 Sordi in March 2002. As soon as his death was announced Italian TV started broadcasting his films.

4 of 12 Mourners gathered outside his Rome home on Tuesday, after his death was announced.

5 of 12 The scarf and flowers on his hearse pay tribute to his love for AS Roma football club.

6 of 12 President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (right) joined Rome's mayor, Valter Veltroni, when Sordi's funeral chamber opened on Tuesday.

7 of 12 Thousands flocked to pay their last respects at Campidoglio Palace ahead of Thursday's funeral.

8 of 12 Crowds waited long into the night to see his body.

9 of 12 His funeral was held at St John Lateran Basilica in St Giovanni's Square.

10 of 12 Cardinal Camillio Ruini celebrated mass at the service.

11 of 12 Urban policemen carried his body at the end of the service

12 of 12 More than 250,000 turned out for the funeral. "It's like losing a member of the family," said one mourner.