Thousands of people from across Sicily gathered in Misilmeri to pay their respects at the funeral of Sara Campanella, a 22-year-old student tragically killed in Messina by her university classmate, Stefano Argentino, who has confessed to the crime.

The funeral service took place at the Church of San Giovanni Battista, officiated by Archbishop of Palermo, Corrado Lorefice.

As the white coffin of Sara Campanella arrived at the church, it was met with a prolonged applause from the mourners.

The coffin, having been transported a short distance from the Church of the Holy Souls where a wake was held, was carried by friends wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the message "I love myself too much to be with anyone," a quote from Campanella's social media profile, alongside another message reading “No to violence.” The church was overcrowded, as many gathered to offer their final goodbyes to the young woman.

A banner reading "Stop Femicide" was prominently displayed in the square of Misilmeri, with silver balloons spelling out the name "Sara." The mayor of Messina, Federico Basile, attended and declared a day of mourning in the city, while the rector of the University of Messina, Giovanna Spatari, announced that an honorary degree would be conferred posthumously to Campanella, who was studying Biomedical Laboratory Techniques at the university.

During his homily, Archbishop Lorefice addressed Sara's parents, expressing that in her death, they mourned the fate of humanity when violence prevails.

He remarked, "There are no words to console your anguish, dear parents.

We share your silence.

We offer you our tears.

The entire human family mourns Sara today."

Also present was the university rector, Giovanna Spatari, who initiated the official procedure for awarding a posthumous degree to Sara.

During the service, Spatari read a message that was sent to a professor to whom Sara had reached out regarding her thesis, recalling her enthusiasm and passion for completing her education.

At the conclusion of the funeral, colleagues from the university delivered a heartfelt message: “Dear Sara, on behalf of all your colleagues, we express ourselves with one voice.

It is hard to find the right words.

You entered our lives quietly with the sweetness that you brought even in the darkest moments.

You were a colleague, a friend, and a sister; in every gesture and smile, you embodied love.

We miss you, Sara; we miss your love and the nights spent studying together over video calls.

We remember every little piece you left behind.

You were a gift to us, and we learned more from you than you could ever know.”