ROME (AP) Italian director Franco Zeffirelli, famed for operas, films and television, has died in Rome at the age of 96.

Zeffirellis son Luciano said his father died at home at noon on Saturday. He had suffered for a while, but he left in a peaceful way, he said.

Zeffirelli delighted audiences around the world with his romantic vision and often extravagant productions, most famously captured in his cinematic rendering of Romeo and Juliet and the miniseries Jesus of Nazareth.

While Zeffirelli was most popularly known for his films, his name was also inextricably linked to the theater and opera.