The chairman of Italian state-controlled shipbuilder Fincantieri, Claudio Graziano, a retired general who once headed the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, has died at the age of 70, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Monday.
The cause of death has not been revealed, but Italian media reported that a gun and a note were found near his body at his home in Rome.
He had recently become a widow, the reports said.
“I am shocked by the news of the tragic death of General Claudio Graziano,” Meloni said in a statement, describing him as “a sincere servant of the state.”
Graziano was appointed Chairman of Fincantieri in 2022 after an illustrious career that included stints as Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Defense and Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from 2007 to 2010.
“The death of General Claudio Graziano leaves me speechless,” Foreign Minister said Antonio Tajani said.
“He was a friend and an extraordinary officer who also honored Italy in its European roles. May a prayer accompany him on his journey to join his bride,” he said on X.
Fincantieri is Europe’s largest shipbuilder, with 21,000 employees and a turnover of more than 7.7 billion euros ($8.2 billion).
The group’s share price fell by three percent on the Milan stock exchange following the news of Graziano’s death.
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