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An Italian father who was killed in the Barcelona attack died in front of his wife and two young children who narrowly escaped harm when a van ploughed into tourists.

Bruno Gulotta, 35, was one of two Italian nationals killed in Thursday's attack on Las Ramblas, which left 14 people dead and over 100 injured.

The other Italian victim was named as 25-year-old Luca Russo, whose girlfriend was one of three Italians injured in the attack.

"Italy will remember Bruno Gulotta and Luca Russo and expresses its solidarity with their families," Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said in a tweet. "Freedom will triumph over barbarism and terrorism."

The death of Gulotta was announced by computer company Tom's Hardware, for whom he worked in sales and marketing.

"Our friend and colleague Bruno Gulotta was run over and killed by an odious terrorist in the heart of Barcelona," a statement on the company website read.

Paying tribute to the kindness and generosity of their co-worker, Gulotta's colleagues said his violent death had left his wife Martina facing "trials no-one should have to bear".

"We put ourselves in the shoes of little Alessandro, who is about to start elementary school knowing his and his family's life will never be the same again. And we think of baby Aria ... who will never know her dad."

We put ourselves in the shoes of little Alessandro, who is about to start elementary school knowing his and his family's life will never be the same again. And we think of baby Aria ... who will never know her dad

Italian media reported that Bruno had been holding five-year-old Alessandro's hand just before he was hit by the van.

Martina, who had one-year-old Aria in a sling-style baby carrier, was reported to have told friends that she had managed to pull her son out of the way.

The family, from Legnano, near Milan, were on holiday in the Catalan city.

Russo was also on vacation, accompanied by his girlfriend. Originally from the Dolomites mountain area, he graduated in engineering last year from Padova university and had just begun his career, working for a company specialised in refrigeration.

His sister Chiara posted pictures of her smiling brother on Facebook, alongside images of his prone, blood-stained body on the streets of Barcelona.

"Help me to bring him home, I beg you," she wrote.