Campaigning in Italy is in its final day ahead of this weekend's elections.
Italy's main rivals for the premiership have wrapped up campaigning ahead of national and regional elections.
The vote comes three years early, after Romano Prodi stepped down as prime minister when his coalition government collapsed in January.
At a final rally in Rome, centre-left candidate Walter Veltroni, 52, urged tens of thousands of supporters to serve Italy with honour.
Billionaire businessman and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, 71, wants a third term as prime minister.
Billionaire businessman and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, 71, wants a third term as prime minister.
His main rival is 52-year-old Walter Veltroni, the former mayor of Rome. Mr Berlusconi is ahead in opinion polls but 15% of voters are undecided.
Both candidates have promised change, but correspondents say deep economic problems restrict what they can offer.
'Little difference'
After a day off from campaigning on Saturday, voters go to the polls on Sunday and Monday to choose from 158 different parties contesting regional and national elections.
At his final election rally in Rome on Thursday, Mr Berlusconi appealed to his supporters to bring in more voters.
Italy's 62nd election in 63 years comes three years early, after Romano Prodi stepped down as prime minister when his coalition government collapsed in January.
"Get out there and do missionary work," he told a crowd of 3,000 supporters.
'Highest honour'
At his final rally in Rome, Mr Veltroni called for Italians to love their country.
"We need to serve Italy and feel that this is an honour," the former mayor of Rome said to an estimated 40,000 supporters.
"If I become prime minister this will be the highest honour and I would carry out my role with energy, strength and determination and desire to change this country... because this country needs change."
Mr Berlusconi made his final campaign appearance on late-night Italian TV. He repeated his accusation that Mr Veltroni has run "a campaign of lies".
Mr Berlusconi has previously said that Mr Veltroni's newly-formed Democratic Party is a new label for Italy's communists.
At his final rally on Thursday, he appealed to his supporters to bring in more voters in order to give him the parliamentary majority to make the tough changes he said Italy needs.
Economy slipping
Mr Berlusconi is the head of a business empire that spans media, advertising, insurance, food and construction and includes the successful football club AC Milan.
Mr Berlusconi is the head of a business empire that spans media, advertising, insurance, food and construction and includes the successful football club AC Milan.
He is heading a new party - the People of Freedom (PDL).
He is also leading a new party into the polls - the conservative People of Freedom (PDL).
Mr Veltroni is also leading a new party - the Democratic Party.
Although Italy faces a massive public debt, both candidates have promised tax cuts and handouts to voters, says the BBC's Christian Fraser in Rome.
He compares himself to US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and has promised to boost pay and pensions to stimulate the Italian economy.
Italy's economy has been slipping in the face of low productivity and a strong euro and analysts say young people, pensioners and low-income workers are feeling the pressure.
In truth, there is little to choose between the policies of the two candidates, says the BBC's Christian Fraser in Rome.
Whichever candidate is declared the winner on Monday, both know that a period of painful political and economic reforms is essential and unavoidable, our correspondent says.
Both are promising to lower taxes and to cut public spending, our correspondent says.
The Italian debt is now 1,400bn euros (£1,100bn; $2,200bn) - more than the annual GDP.
The cost of paying the annual interest on that debt is around 1,200 euros per Italian - and all the signs point to the situation getting worse.
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