The body of the woman was found at her home in Prestino, in the outskirts of Como, after firefighters arrived over concerns about trees falling in the overgrown garden during the recent high winds in the Lombardy region.
An investigation is underway into the death of the woman – identified by Italian media as Marinella Beretta – who allegedly has no living relatives and is believed to have died from natural causes, probably some time around the end of 2019.
Neighbours told reporters that they had not seen or heard from her in at least two and a half years, and had assumed she had moved away when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit northern Italy.
The mayor of Como, Mario Landriscina, has appealed to the city’s residents to give the woman a decent farewell as police continue to search for relatives, according to Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
“We must become her family and participate as much as possible in the funeral,” he said.
“It must be a moment of reflection on an example of loneliness that must really lead us to improve and change certain dynamics.”
Landriscina told the Italian media on Tuesday that the local government would take care of the funeral arrangements.
He said that authorities must first “be certain there really are no relatives” as well ascertaining the woman’s religious beliefs and respecting any final wishes.
“It is a tragedy that occurred in a context complicated by the pandemic... Who knows how much this woman suffered.”
