Sylvia Poggioli is senior European correspondent for NPR's International Desk covering political, economic, and cultural news in Italy, the Vatican, Western Europe, and the Balkans. Poggioli's on-air reporting and analysis have encompassed the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, the turbulent civil war in the former Yugoslavia, and how immigration has transformed European societies.
The media mogul turned prime minister left a mark on popular culture, while his coarseness and constant legal woes trashed political norms and tainted Italy's image in the world.
NPR's Juana Summers speaks with former Italy correspondent Sylvia Poggioli about her time reporting across Europe throughout her 41 years with the network.
The pope will leave the hospital on Saturday, three days after he was hospitalized for respiratory problems. He was diagnosed with bronchitis. Francis will be present for Palm Sunday ceremonies.