Body of Italian Minister's Husband Found
After a painstaking search lasting more than a month, the body of 84-year-old Luigi Cavallari, husband of Italian Family Minister Eugenia Roccella, was found in Lake Vico.
After a painstaking search lasting more than a month, the body of 84-year-old Luigi Cavallari, husband of Italian Family Minister Eugenia Roccella, was found in Lake Vico.
After more than a month of uncertainty, the body of Luigi Cavallari, the 84-year-old husband of Italian Family Minister Eugenia Roccella, was found on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. His remains were recovered from Lake Vico in the province of Viterbo, northwest of Rome, where he disappeared on June 27, 2026.
According to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, the tragedy occurred while the couple was staying at their family home by the lake. Cavallari jumped into the water, briefly surfaced, and complained of feeling unwell. "I don't feel well," were reportedly his last words before he disappeared beneath the surface again. His wife, Minister Roccella, immediately raised the alarm and called emergency services.
Sources differ on the details of the disappearance itself. While Kurir.rs reports that Cavallari jumped into the lake from the shore, Danas.net.hr states that he jumped from a boat in which his wife was also present. French outlet France Info offers a third version, citing Italian agency Ansa: Cavallari was on a small boat with his wife and jumped into the water to cool off, but the boat was not anchored and drifted away, and the minister was unable to reach him before he disappeared.
The search for the 84-year-old was extremely challenging. Experts from all over Italy took part in the operation, using sonar and underwater robots. Poor visibility in the lake, whose bottom is covered with thick mud and algae, hampered rescue teams for days. The body was finally found on Tuesday morning by police divers. The prosecutor's office in Viterbo has ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Eugenia Roccella (72), a member of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, spoke out on social media after the body was found. "A period of agonizing waiting ends today," the minister wrote on Facebook, thanking the rescue teams who searched "with so much humanity and dedication."
Even during the search, a few days after the disappearance, Roccella took to social media to thank everyone for their support. "I want to thank everyone who, in various ways, has offered me support during these difficult days. The wave of compassion that has deeply moved me in this tragic and painful moment helps me to carry on. Thank you," she said at the time.
The multi-week search operation, which involved mini-submarines and sonar systems, sparked controversy on social media. Some felt that the extensive search was due to the fact that the missing man was the husband of a politician, while others personally attacked the minister, known for her conservative views on same-sex marriage and abortion.
Luigi Cavallari was an engineer, university professor, and academic who rarely appeared in public, mostly at official events alongside his wife. The couple celebrated 50 years of marriage in March of this year and have two children.
