Thousands of mourners have attended a state funeral for victims of Italy's worst earthquake in over 30 years, which killed 289 people and left 28,000 homeless.

Grieving relatives and friends prayed before 205 coffins in the mountain city of L'Aquila, the worst hit town by Monday's 6.3 magnitude quake.

Officials declared Friday a national day of mourning, with flags flying at half mast, shops lowering their shutters and flights were stopped at airports for one minute's silence.

Pope Benedict XVI, delivered a message on his behalf at a Good Friday mass and told survivors to keep up hope.

"This is the time to work together,'' Benedict said in a message read by Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, his secretary.

"Only solidarity will allow us to overcome this painful trial."

Sabina Castelfranco, Al Jazeera's correspondent in L'Aquila, said: "Smaller white coffins were placed on top of the larger ones holding the remains of some of the 20 children and teenagers who were killed by the earthquake.

"At the end of the service, an Islamic rite was held for six Muslim victims, two of them Palestinians.

"The search for survivors who could still be trapped under the rubble has been extended until Sunday.

"A feeling of fear persists among the population here. The aftershocks continue in this area, some of them strong, and many ask themselves when will all this come to an end."