The two-time former president Giorgio Napolitano, one of Italy's most respected political figures, died on Friday in a Rome clinic aged 98.
His condition had been critical for some time.
His successor, the current president Sergio Mattarella, saluted Napolitano as a faithful interpreter of the Italian Constitution.
"Elected to the highest magistracies of the State, President of the Chamber of Deputies, Life Senator, President of the Republic for two terms, he interpreted the role of guarantor of the values of our community with fidelity to the Constitution and acute intelligence, with heartfelt attention to the demands of renewal present in society," said Mattarella.
"Devoted to the cause of workers, inexhaustible was his action to combat the spiral of deaths at work. I am deeply saddened by his death" and "I extend to his family the condolences of the entire nation," he added.
Premier Giorgia Meloni also voiced her condolences on behalf of the government. "The Premier, Giorgia Meloni, expresses condolences, on behalf of the Italian Government, for the death of the President Emeritus of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano," she said in a statement.
"We send our thoughts and deepest condolences to the family." Former European Central Bank Chief, Bank of Italy Governor and premier Mario Draghi paid homage to "an absolute protagonist" of Italian and European history "over the last 70 years".
"President of the Republic, President of the Lower House, Minister of the Interior, he was able to combine dialogue with all the political cultures with the capacity to act with wisdom and courage, safeguarding citizens and the Constitution," said Draghi.
Pope Francis expressed his condolences in a telegram to Napolitano's widow Clio Bittoni.
His death "has aroused in me feelings of emotion and at the same time of gratitude for this statesman who, in the performance of his high institutional duties, showed great gifts of intellect and sincere passion for Italian political life, as well as a lively interest in the fate of nations," said the Argentine pontiff.
"I gratefully recall the personal encounters I had with him, during which I appreciated his humanity and farsightedness in taking important decisions with rectitude, especially in delicate moments for the life of the country, with the constant intention of promoting unity and concord in a spirit of solidarity, animated by the search for the common good," he added.
Born in Naples on June 29, 1925, Napolitano served as the 11th president of the Italian Republic from 2006 to 2015, and was the first head of state to be elected for a second mandate in 2013, as well as being the country's first post-Communist president.
A former militant in and then leader of the reformist wing of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) until the establishment of the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) in 1991, as interior minister in the 1996-1998 centre-left government of Romano Prodi he gave his name to Italy's first comprehensive immigration law, the so-called 'Turco-Napolitano', in 1998.
A law graduate from the University of Naples in 1947, Napolitano was first elected to the Lower House in 1953 and went on to represent his native Naples constituency almost without interruption until 1996.
His long political career also took him to Strasbourg as a member of the European Parliament from 1989 to 1992, before his election as Speaker of Italy's Lower House from 1992 until 1994.
His dominance of the political scene in Italy - and especially a key role in birthing the emergency Mario Monti-led government amid a sovereign debt crisis in 2011 - earned him the nickname King George.
This was not affectionate for many on the right who said he allegedly overstepped his Constitutional role of impartial arbiter and actively helped engineer the end of Silvio Berlusconi's final government, allegedly colluding with European authorities.
But he regularly topped polls of Italy's most popular politicians.
In 2005 Napolitano was appointed life Senator by then President of the Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, his predecessor as head of state and guarantor of Italy's post-war antifascist constitution.
A life-long Anglophile, Napolitano spoke fluent English and lectured at several American universities in the late 1970s.
During his long prominence in the PCI he often broke with party orthodoxy and criticised the Soviet Union, in particular over its invasion of Afghanistan in 1980. Senate Speaker Ignazio la Russa said that Napolitano will lie in state at the Senate in order that well wishers can bid him farewell.
Flags have also been placed at half mast in Naples and the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) has said a minute's silence is to be observed before all league matches until Monday.
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