It had already been a terrible year for the Italian prime minister. Castigated by the Roman Catholic Church for his dalliances with showgirls, sued for divorce, accused of sleeping with a prostitute and facing two corruption trials, the last 12 months of personal and political pitfalls were capped last weekend when he was struck in the face with a souvenir model of Milan's cathedral. Yet even as many Italians felt unexpected sympathy for the terrible injuries suffered by their sometimes embarrassing leader, and wondered whether his famous verve would ever fully recover, a handful noticed a striking - and perhaps significant - parallel with a notorious predecessor.
It had already been a terrible year for the Italian prime minister. Castigated by the Roman Catholic Church for his dalliances with showgirls, sued for divorce, accused of sleeping with a prostitute and facing two corruption trials, the last 12 months of personal and political pitfalls were capped last weekend when he was struck in the face with a souvenir model of Milan's cathedral.
Yet even as many Italians felt unexpected sympathy for the terrible injuries suffered by their sometimes embarrassing leader, and wondered whether his famous verve would ever fully recover, a handful noticed a striking - and perhaps significant - parallel with a notorious predecessor.
Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has insisted he will return to the public stage on Christmas Eve despite his family's pleas to take a break from politics after he was attacked at a rally last week. Doctors and aides urged Berlusconi, 73, to rest for three weeks after he suffered a broken nose and two broken teeth when Massimo Tartaglia, 42, an electronics engineer with mental problems, threw a spiked marble and metal replica of Milan Cathedral at him. On Friday, his first day out of hospital, Berlusconi received 17 visitors at his mansion near Milan. His nose was bandaged and he had difficulty speaking. Nevertheless, he was said to have told party members that he would spend Christmas Eve at the village of Onna in L'Aquila in central Italy, which was devastated by an earthquake in April. He was equally determined in rebuffing his daughter Marina, 43, head of the Fininvest media holding company, when she urged him to think more about himself and his family and less about politics. A well-informed source said Marina, Berlusconi's daughter by his first marriage, had "begged" him to take it easy.
Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has insisted he will return to the public stage on Christmas Eve despite his family's pleas to take a break from politics after he was attacked at a rally last week.
Doctors and aides urged Berlusconi, 73, to rest for three weeks after he suffered a broken nose and two broken teeth when Massimo Tartaglia, 42, an electronics engineer with mental problems, threw a spiked marble and metal replica of Milan Cathedral at him.
On Friday, his first day out of hospital, Berlusconi received 17 visitors at his mansion near Milan. His nose was bandaged and he had difficulty speaking.
Nevertheless, he was said to have told party members that he would spend Christmas Eve at the village of Onna in L'Aquila in central Italy, which was devastated by an earthquake in April.
He was equally determined in rebuffing his daughter Marina, 43, head of the Fininvest media holding company, when she urged him to think more about himself and his family and less about politics. A well-informed source said Marina, Berlusconi's daughter by his first marriage, had "begged" him to take it easy.
a striking - and perhaps significant - parallel with a notorious predecessor.
