A state funeral was held in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, with thousands of mourners, including prime minister Silvio Berlusconi attending.
A minute's silence was held, and reports from Rome said crowds applauded as the coffins were brought into the church. The attack which killed the men was the deadliest day for Italy since the conflict in Afghanistan began, also killing ten Afghans and injuring four other Italians.
In a message of condolence read out at the beginning of the ceremony, Pope Benedict XVI said he was 'deeply saddened' by the attack, and prayed for God's support for 'those who work every day to build solidarity, reconciliation and peace'.
There are more than 3,000 Italian troops in Afghanistan, with minister Franco Frattini saying last week that the troops must remain despite the high price Italy is paying.
The soldiers' bodies were later taken for private burials in cemeteries across Italy.
Mr Berlusconi, who met with the victim's families at the funeral, said that Italy will stay to meet its commitments in Afghanistan, but said that the Afghan government must do more.
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