Murdered Fortuyn reburied in Italy

Pim Fortuyn's coffin is carried to the San Leonardo church for a funeral ceremony

PROVESANO, Italy -- The coffin of murdered Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn has been laid to rest at his Italian holiday home according to his wishes.

About 35 relatives and friends of the former political party leader attended the burial in the northeastern Italian village of Provesano San Giorgio della Richinvelda on Saturday.

His white coffin was carried to the San Leonardo church for a funeral ceremony before burial at a specially made marble mausoleum.

The remains of the controversial far-right politician had been exhumed from its temporary resting place in the Netherlands.

After a family vigil, the white coffin had been driven in a funeral cortege watched by thousands to Rotterdam airport on Saturday before its arrival in Italy.

MORE STORIES • Profile: Fortuyn - Man of paradox  • TIMELINE: Recent killings of politicians    EXTRA INFORMATION In-depth: Netherlands Decides 2002

As the aircraft bearing Fortuyn's coffin taxied off, two fire engines on the runway spouted jets of water to form an arc.

The plane then encircled the airport in an honorary aviation salute before flying over Fortuyn's home city of Rotterdam.

"The tomb will be above ground as Pim desired. He didn't want to be buried underground," Bruno Ambrosio, whose brother-in-law was once the gay Fortuyn's lover, told Reuters.

The tomb is etched with Fortuyn's family emblem, a Madonna and a huge cross. It will bear the motto "Keep freedom of speech" in Latin.

The ceremony that took place in the village of Driehui-Weterveld on the north-west Dutch coast on Thursday had the blessing of Fortuyn's family.

About 5,000 people were expected to attend his reburial. Travel agents were offering special trips to Fortuyn's Italian grave.

Fortuyn's dramatic final journey dominated newspaper headlines and the airwaves and was broadcast live on commercial channel SBS6.

Fortuyn, 54, who became known for his anti-immigration stance and his homosexuality, was shot dead on May 6 just days before a general election in the Netherlands.

Fortuyn's death led to an outpouring of grief and gave him iconic status overnight

Before his death the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) was doing well in opinion polls but the assassination galvanised public opinion, sometimes even among those who disagreed with his policies.

In a country that prides itself on tolerance and non-violent political debate, the killing was seen as an attack on democracy itself and the LPF came second in the election.

It is now joining the free-market VVD and Christian Democrats (CDA) in a new government under CDA leader Peter Balkenende next week. Queen Beatrix will swear in Balkenende on Monday.

The LPF will hold four Cabinet posts including immigration.

Fortuyn's murder also led to an outpouring of grief and soul-searching.

More than 15,000 mourners lined the streets of Rotterdam when his hearse made a final tour after a funeral mass several months ago.

The suspected murderer, animal-right activist Volkert Van der Graaf, was arrested within minutes of the killing and has been on hunger strike in protest over he conditions under which he is being detained.