The private funeral of fashion legend Giorgio Armani was set to take place Monday in a picturesque village near Piacenza, in the northern Italian region where the designer grew up.

Only about 60 people were expected at the 3:30 pm (1330 GMT) ceremony, according to local media, at the 14th-century Church of San Martino in Rivalta, south of Milan.

The Armani group said it was a strictly private affair.

Armani died last Thursday aged 91, one of the most famous names in fashion and head of a multi-billion-euro luxury lifestyle business.

Around 15,000 people paid their respects over the weekend when his coffin was put on display for two days at the Armani headquarters in Milan, a group spokesman told AFP.

Armani's shops were due to close Monday afternoon in a sign of respect for the design

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