Eternal bachelor George Clooney dumped his girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis after they had a furious row at his Italian lakeside home,

it emerged today.

Just hours before the tempestuous bust up last week the couple had enjoyed a romantic dinner at their favourite hillside restaurant where onlookers said they resembled 'cooing lovebirds.'

But the atmosphere became very different when they returned to Clooney's villa where he was enjoying a few days off from shooting his latest movie in London.

Sources said the Ocean's Star flipped after being being 'pressed' about marriage by Canalis - who two weeks ago had given a gushing interview about how she was 'living a fairytale' and hoped to wed the actor.

Earlier this month, the 32-year-old suggested marriage could be on the cards as she addressed Clooney’s reputation as an eternal bachelor, saying: 'I could never be with someone who every time he opens his mouth says he doesn’t want a child with me or to marry me.'

But it appears he was not on the same wave length and after a furious row she stormed out of his Villa Oleandra on the shores of Lake Como and drove off to nearby Milan to be with friends.

Canalis had also been unhappy at the fact that she had been on holiday to Mexico on her own recently as well as attending the Cannes film festival without her famous boyfriend.

Last week Clooney was back in Italy and went for dinner at il Gatto Nero but the romantic atmosphere became decidedly chiller once they returned to the villa.

A source said:'The conversation turned to the interview she had given and about marriage and George was having nothing of it. Elisabetta then lost it because he had not come to Mexico or Cannes with her.


'Cooing lovebirds': Onlookers said the pair were affection as they dined together at il Gatto Nero restaurant near Clooney's home on Lake Como just last week

'The atmosphere was pretty red hot and the language was pretty fiery - it was a very fierce row and she then just stormed out of the house and went to Milan.

'It's a shame really as she had met his family and he had been to visit her family and they all got on really well together but like any woman Elisabetta was keen to settle down sooner rather than later.'

Today Alfonso Signorini, editor of the magazine that Canalis had spoken to and a close friend of hers, said:'It's all over - and it has come as a real surprise to me. They were getting on really well.

'Last week I was with Elisabetta the whole day shooting a programme and we were together until 1am and she must have had about 60 text messages from George.

'I said to her "Darling stop otherwise we will never finish her." She was so excited about meeting him as he had a few days off from shooting his film in London.

'From what I know it was him who dumped her and she stormed out of the villa. I've tried to get her on the telephone but it's switched off.'

Signorini also dismissed claims in several Italian newspapers that the relationship was a publicity stunt and said:'I've heard all this and I can tell you it was all for real. They were deeply affectionate towards each other.

'At the beginning it was all very passionate between them then things became more complicit - he is actually very fatherly but at the same time they did have a very complicated relationship.

'It's not easy to be with a star of that calibre - when she gave us the interview a fortnight ago she was terrified about speaking of their private life because of him and of his lawyers and advisers.

'I'd seen them together a couple of times and I had been invited to a party they were hosting at the Villa Oleandra next month but I don't think that will happen now.'

Today Canalis - who had been due to appear on an Italian celebrity chef show but pulled out - was in hiding with friends in Milan and her agent said:'She is not speaking publicly at the moment.'

Her parents were not available at their home in Sardinia while Clooney's bodyguard Giovanni Zequireya said:'I'm sorry, I don't know anything.'