Former Italian president Oscar Luigi Scalfaro died on Sunday in Rome at the age of 93, according to a statement issued by the Italian president's office.

In the statement, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano praised Scalfaro as an example of "moral integrity" who "faced one of the most difficult moments of our history firmly and steadfastly."

The statement also said Scalfaro "made a tremendous effort to hearten the country and reassure international observers of the solidity of Italian institutions" during his presidential term.

Scalfaro was elected president on May 25, 1992 and became a senator for life in 1999 after completing his term as president.

Born in the Piedmont town of Novara on Sept. 9, 1918, Scalfaro won a seat with the Christian Democratic party in 1946 in the Constituent Assembly that established the Italian Republic, and two years later he was elected to the lower house in the country's first general election.

Scalfaro was elected lower house speaker in 1992 before being elected president.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Scalfaro was a junior minister and then a minister in several governments. As interior minister from 1983 to 1987, he drafted several international accords to fight terrorism and organized crimes.