(ANSA) - Milan, December 17 - Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi arrived back from hospital at his luxury villa at Arcore near Milan Thursday night to a hero's welcome following Sunday's attack in Milan.

The premier received a round of applause from townsfolk as his car entered the villa's grounds, his swollen face appearing through the limousine's darkened windows as he waved back to supporters.

The first to physically greet the injured premier was Arcore Mayor Mario Rocchini who told reporters: "He hugged me and thanked me. He's a formidable man, and I couldn't help shedding a tear".

On his way from Milan's San Raffaele hospital, Berlusconi spent four hours at the dentist's for running repairs to two teeth damaged in the attack by a mentally unstable man who also broke the premier's nose.

He is set to leave for a Swiss hospital Friday for cosmetic surgery on his wounded face.

Upon leaving San Raffaele after one day longer in the hospital than expected, Berlusconi issued a statement saying "my pain will not have been in vain if the tone (of political debate) changes".

Since the attack on the popular but polarising figure, the centre left and centre right have been swapping accusations over who was to blame.

Polemics eased Thursday but appeared set to rise again as the government began the first of a series of judicial reforms, announcing that judges could be transferred from one court to another to plug gaps.

The centre-right majority is also shaping to launch a revised version of a bill that was struck down by the Constitutional Court in October, reactivating two trials against the premier.

Polls have shown that the premier could benefit from the outpouring of sympathy after his attack, pushing for moves to rein in the judiciary he says is persecuting him.

The premier was stressing "the power of love over hate" as he left the hospital, confident that "we will be able to go forward with more determination along the path of freedom".

Assailant Massimo Tartaglia is in jail and his family fears he may hurt himself.

His father said he hoped Berlusconi might "find it within himself to forgive him, though I know it'll be hard because it's the second time this has happened," referring to a man who injured the premier slightly with a camera tripod five years ago. But Berlusconi has already forgiven Tartaglia, according to Father Luigi Verze', the president of San Raffaele's hospital board and a personal friend of the premier's.

"Silvio is a good man. He isn't capable of hating anyone. He has already forgiven the man who hit him and perhaps he would also like to meet him," Father Verze' said. It emerged Thursday night that the hard resin souvenir model of Milan's spiky Gothic cathedral which Tartaglia threw into the premier's face after a rally was made in China.