Nobel prize winning Italian playwright Dario Fo dead

Italian playwright and actor Dario Fo, who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1997, has died at the age of 90, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi announced Thursday.

"With Dario Fo's death, Italy has lost one of the great characters of its theatre, culture and civilian life. His satirical work, research, stage work and multi-faceted artistic activity are the legacy of a great Italian to the world," Renzi said in comments carried by the Agi news agency.

Left-winger Fo, one of the leading figures in 20th century farce and political theatre, was best known for his works "Accidental Death of an Anarchist" and "Can't Pay, Won't Pay".

He stirred controversy with his 1969 work "Mistero buffo" ("Comical Mystery"), a retelling of the Christian gospels in an improvised format.