Rome, Italy (CNN) -- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will stay in a hospital for observation overnight after being punched in the face at a campaign rally in Milan, a spokesman said Sunday.
The 73-year-old premier was bleeding profusely from his left upper lip after being hit. He underwent a CAT scan at Milan's San Raffaele Hospital, and his personal physician, Alberto Sangrillon, recommended more tests be done, Berlusconi spokesman Paolo Buonaiuti told CNN.
The conservative media-mogul-turned-politician has been dogged by allegations of corruption and is the middle of a messy divorce from his second wife. He was in Milan, his hometown and political base, to stump for a local political ally.
The man who hit Berlusconi was taken away by police after the attack, said Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa, who was with Berlusconi at the time. No details about the attacker were immediately available.
Buonaiuti said there was "a lot of confusion" surrounding the assault, but he put some of the blame on Berlusconi's critics.
"What I can tell you is that there has been such a buildup of hatred toward the premier, and this is not good," Buonaiuti said. "This campaign of hatred has been building quite rapidly recently, and I am not surprised that what happened tonight took place."
La Russa told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the man swung at Berlusconi with "some kind of metallic object" in his hand. The minister said he did not see Berlusconi get hit, however.
"He remained calm and leaned out the window as he was being driven to the hospital and waved to the crowd," La Russa said.
The three-term prime minister faces trial on tax fraud charges after Italy's top court struck down an immunity law that shielded him from prosecution. He denies the charges, calling them politically motivated.
And his private life has been in the spotlight since his wife of 19 years, Veronica Lario, filed for divorce in May. The divorce followed allegations that an Italian businessman hired escorts for the premier and that he had attended the birthday party for an 18-year-old girl, with whom he has denied having an inappropriate relationship.
Berlusconi remains popular among the Italian public, however, with his approval ratings remaining well over 50 percent. He won a third term in 2008, and his conservative coalition has control of both the Italian Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
