Angela was a much-loved and respected figure in Italy.

Piero Angela, the celebrated Italian television host, science journalist and writer, died on Saturday aged 93.

The news was announced on Twitter by his son Alberto, also a well-known face on Italian television, with the simple message "Buon viaggio papà".

Widely considered as Italy's David Attenborough, Angela wrote 33 books, which sold three million copies, and made more than 60 documentaries and hundreds of television episodes, winning multiple awards.

Buon viaggio papà. pic.twitter.com/Rsu1CXXYV2— Alberto Angela (@albertoangela) August 13, 2022

Italy's president Sergio Mattarella led tributes to Angela, who began working for state broadcaster RAI in 1952, first as radio reporter and a foreign correspondent, then as a presenter of acclaimed documentaries focusing primarily on science, culture and history.

Mattarella described Angela as "a refined intellectual, journalist and writer who has shaped the history of television in Italy in an unforgettable way, bringing ever wider audiences closer to the world of culture and science, promoting its diffusion in an authoritative and engaging way."

The president expressed his deepest condolences to Angela's family and underlined his "great sorrow" at the loss of "a great Italian to whom the republic is grateful".