An Italian aristocrat and descendant of a pope died after he crashed into a lorry while riding his bicycle in central London.The family of 21-year-old Filippo Corisini confirmed his death after Monday’s accident.
The accident took place near a London department store at 12.40pm.
Corsini was dragged 30 yards by the vehicle.
Police say the driver stopped at the scene and that a 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving.
Friends left flowers and notes at the scene including his housemate Guccio Gucci Ludolf, who wrote: “You are unique, I never knew a person so full of energy, always smiling and ready to make others laugh.”
The Corsinis trace their roots to the Florence area as far back as the 1100s.
According to the family’s website, they were initially merchants and bankers and then held positions in politics and the clergy.
The site lists Pope Clement XII, pontiff in 1730, as a member of the Corsini family.
Pope Clement XII is remembered for commissioning the building of some of Rome’s most spectacular structures.
He built the new façade of the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, and began the construction of the Trevi Fountain.