Pomodoro, one of Italy's most prominent contemporary artists, was known around the world for his monumental fractured sphere sculptures.Italy's president and prime minister led tributes on Monday to the renowned Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro who died on Sunday, a day before his 99th birthday.Pomodoro was celebrated internationally for his polished bronze orbs, fractured to reveal jagged interiors, which were placed in high-profile sites including the United Nations headquarters in New York and at the Vatican Museums. His death was announced by Carlotta Montebello, the artist’s niece and director of the Milan-based Arnaldo Pomodoro Foundation which described his iconic works as a "contrast between the smooth perfection of the geometric form and the chaotic complexity of the interior". "The passing of Arnaldo Pomodoro, a multifaceted and brilliant artist, leaves a great void in the world of art" - President Sergio Mattarella said in a statement - "His impressive works, exhibited in the most important museums around the world, have left an indelible mark on the history of contemporary sculpture. In a post on X, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni hailed Pomodoro, who died at his home in Milan, as "a master of sculpture who carved the soul of Italy". Italy's culture minister Alessandro Giuli paid tribute to Pomodoro as "an undisputed and recognisable protagonist of contemporary sculpture" whose trademark spheres highlight "the fragility and complexity of humans and the world". Image: Bronze sculpture Sphere within a Sphere (Sfera con sfera) by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro at the Vatican Museums. Photo credit: Kiev.Victor / Shutterstock.com.