A show befitting the grand soap opera of Silvio Berlusconi's life is being put on in Italy to commemorate his passing.
With no prior political experience, the former cruise singer who became Italy's leader built a media empire and had a long line of wives and girlfriends.
In the magnificent cathedral of the city on Wednesday, the Archbishop of Milan will preside over Berlusconi's state funeral.
A day of national mourning is being observed in Italy.
The Italian and European flags flying over all public structures are now at half-staff.
For a former prime minister, this kind of honor is unheard of. Popes, war heroes, and active clergy members typically receive the honor of a state funeral.
Silvio Berlusconi has a strong connection to the city of Milan because it was the location of both his birth and the beginning of his successful vacuum cleaner sales career.
Maxi-screens have been set up in the central square, which is anticipated to become crowded with thousands of people who are coming to bid a final farewell.
A real succession story is also happening in the background.
In addition to a significant political party that is currently a part of the Italian government, Berlusconi accumulated a vast empire during his lifetime that included the media, real estate, finance, film, and sports. .
He was a wealthy man in Italy. His company's assets are estimated to be worth about €6 billion (£5 point 15 billion) by Forbes.
He never made it known, though, who would take over his business empire after his passing, and there are serious concerns about what would happen to the Forza Italia party he founded.
From his first marriage, Berlusconi has two children, and from his second, he has three. Fininvest, his holding company, is owned by each of them. .
His decision regarding the distribution of the 61 percent stake he held in Fininvest will probably have an impact on the future of his business interests.
Will everyone receive an equal share, or will the two eldest children, Marina and Pier Silvio, who have worked in management positions for the empire since the early 1990s, receive more?
Unquestionably, Berlusconi's numerous opulent villas are among his other valuable assets. It might be difficult to equally transmit them to his progeny.
His Villa San Martino in Arcore, northeast of Milan, is 3,500 square meters in size and was built in the eighteenth century. Along with other places, he also owns residences in Rome, Cannes, the Caribbean, and Lake Maggiore.
Villa Certosa, a mansion he acquired in Sardinia in the 1970s, is the crowning achievement of Berlusconi's real estate holdings.
From George W. Bush to Vladimir Putin, he entertained world leaders there. Bush. It has 126 rooms and is designed to look like a theme park, complete with a fake volcano that spews lava. It's worth an estimated €259 million.
Berlusconi was "the glue" that kept his children together, according to those close to the family.
There hasn't been any argument about who will rule the empire so far; that role is expected to go to his 56-year-old oldest child, Marina, who is the one who is thought to be closest to her father of the five.
The key question is whether Berlusconi's departure will affect the family's ability to remain united, and if so, what effect that may have on the future of his business empire.
The future of his political party may suffer as a result of his passing. Can Forza Italia continue to exist without its charismatic creator, or could it disintegrate within a few months?
He was the ideal populist leader, so it should come as no surprise that the party he founded was built entirely around his persona. .
Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister who serves as his right-hand man, vehemently denied that the party's future was in jeopardy. ".
But in the general election held in September of last year, Forza Italia's vote share had already fallen to 8%.
It will be difficult to choose a successor who will win over many Italians who supported the party because they were Berlusconi partisans.
In reality, the Berlusconi family will likely be the source of inspiration for party members.
Will the two oldest children, Marina and Pier Silvio, want to continue funding their father's political venture or will they shut off the money flow and stop trying?
Forza Italia has no chance of surviving without their financial assistance. His party was reportedly given nearly €100 million in funding by Berlusconi.
It has been suggested that Marina might succeed him as leader, but for the time being this is just a rumor. She is considered to operate more in the background.
Another unknown is Berlusconi's 53-year-younger partner Marta Fascina. She is an MP for his party and has stated on numerous occasions that "politics is her passion and she grew up with the myth of Silvio Berlusconi.".
According to reports, Berlusconi's oldest child intervened in his last-year attempt to marry her. Ms. Fascina's potential participation in her late partner's party is thus cast in doubt.
There is no doubt that the other coalition partners in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government would face significant difficulties if Forza Italia were to break apart.
Following Wednesday's day of national mourning, political instability looms.
A government collapse brought on by the breakup of one of the coalition partners does not seem like such an improbable scenario in a nation that is so well known for its frequent political crises.
The Berlusconi children have so far shied away from the spotlight. But if he passes away, they might be forced to come out from the shadows and seize control of his empire.
Because Berlusconi had health issues for many years, it is likely that he and his children had carefully considered everything.
Instead of engaging in a potentially disastrous succession dispute, they might choose an easy transition announced by their oldest sister Marina.