Premier Silvio Berlusconi was released from San Raffaele Hospital today and will spend his convalescence in his villa in Arcore, outside Milan, says ANSA.

He suffered a broken nose, two broken teeth and facial abrasions in the attack which took place after an outdoor political rally.

Berlusconi, who spent one more day in hospital than originally expected, spent a ”peaceful and painless” last night in hospital, his personal physician, Alberto Zangrillo, said.

The premier waved to well-wishers and the press from the car taking him home from the hospital. A bandage covered the left side of his face, including his nose and upper lip. In a statement issued by his entourage, Berlusconi said ”I will remember two things about this experience: the hate shown by a few and the love demonstrated by many, many Italians”. ”Over these past days I have also been given support by some opposition political leaders. If what happened leads to a greater awareness on the need for more civil and honest language in political dialogue, then this pain will not have been in vain,” Berlusconi said.

Although the premier will spend the first part of his convalescence, which doctors hope will be at least two weeks, at Arcore, the Swiss press reported on Thursday that he will go to a private clinic near Lugano, in the Italian Ticino Canton in Switzerland, for cosmetic surgery to erase traces of Sunday’s attack.

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