Mr Antonio Fazio, governor of Italy's central bank, was under fire yesterday after it was revealed that he had flown to two of the world's most famous Catholic pilgrimage sites on private aircraft rented by the chairman of a bank he regulates.

The affair put the pressure on Mr Fazio (67). He is resisting demands for his resignation sparked by financial scandals such as the multi-billion-euro fraud at the Parmalat food group.

Mr Fazio, a devout Catholic, flew in 2002 to the French shrine at Lourdes and the Spanish shrine at Santiago de Compostela in an aeroplane rented by Cesare Geronzi, chairman of Capitalia, Italy's fourth largest bank.

In a statement, Mr Geronzi said: "I made the trip being talked about on an aeroplane that I rented and on which I invited certain guests, as is perfectly within my rights. I personally paid the cost of the rental, as is shown by the bill." - (Financial Times Service)