Silvio Berlusconi, the former prime minister who reshaped Italy's political and cultural landscape while fending off multiple legal and sex scandals, has died aged 86.

The media mogul was admitted to a Milan hospital on Friday for what aides said were pre-planned tests related to his leukemia.

He was admitted came just three weeks after he was discharged following a six-week stay at Milan's San Raffaele hospital, during which time doctors revealed he had a rare type of blood cancer.

Berlusconi had suffered ill health for years, from heart surgery in 2016 to a 2020 hospitalisation for coronavirus. Despite being re-elected to the Senate last year, he was rarely seen in public.

He led Italy three times between 1994 and 2011.

His influence extended well beyond politics, thanks to his extensive TV, newspaper and sporting interests, while his playboy antics kept him in the headlines even in his final years.

"Silvio Berlusconi made history in this country," ex-prime minister Matteo Renzi said on Facebook.

"Many loved him, many hated him: everyone today must recognize that his impact on political but also economic, sporting and television life was unprecedented," he said.

Berlusconi is survived by his 33-year-old girlfriend, Marta Fascina, two ex-wives and five children, some of whom help run his empire, recently estimated to be worth some seven billion dollars.