Legendary Italian director of Romeo and Juliet, Franco Zeffirelli has died, aged 96 years.
Mr Zeffirelli passed away at his home in Rome.
Franco Zeffirelli, famed for a film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet and for staging extravagant opera productions was the last of a generation of Italian film giants who came of age after World War Two, also including Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti and Vittorio De Sica.
His 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet was a hit with critics and performed well at the box office. It also earned him an Oscar nomination for best director. A second nomination came in 1982 for his work as art director for La Traviata.
Zeffirelli was also known for the lavish TV miniseries Jesus of Nazareth, but his name was inextricably linked to the theatre and opera.
His son Luciano Zeffirelli said he passed away in a peaceful way.
