By Angelo Amante

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Argentine Marcelo Bruno jumped into a car early on Thursday and set off on the long drive to Rome from Syracuse on the island of Sicily, to bid farewell to his compatriot Pope Francis.

He arrived in the early hours of Friday and went straight to St. Peter's Basilica where the body of the first ever Argentine pontiff was lying in state, joining the tens of thousands of mourners.

"It is an event that I believe transcends faith and spirituality," Bruno, a resident of Mar del Plata, said of the Pope's death.

Leaders from around the world will attend Francis' funeral on Saturday along with an expected crowd of more than 200,000 Italian and foreign mourners. For Argentines saying goodbye to a countryman as well as a spiritual leader, the event is particularly poignant.

"It's very impactful, vibrant, everything is very respectful but seeing him was unbelievable," said Agustina Rigo, from Buenos Aires, after visiting the pope's body in the basilica with her sister Antonella.

The Vatican said almost 150,000 people from all over the world had bid farewell to Francis as of midday on Friday (1000 GMT). Long queues are still snaking around St. Peter's Square and entry will be allowed until 7 p.m.

The 88-year-old pope, who died on Monday in his rooms at the Vatican's Santa Marta guesthouse after suffering a stroke, left a lasting mark on the home country he never returned to after his election in 2013 - even among non-Christians.

"We are not religious, but this is a historic event. We brought the kids to show them," said Ramiro Lopez, as he approached Via della Conciliazione, the monumental boulevard that leads up to St. Peter's Square from the River Tiber.

He called Francis a "very political pope" who always focused on the poorest and the intrinsic value of the human being.

Other mourners commented on the symbolism of the pope's passing during the Easter period, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Lisandro Scaravino, originally from the Argentine city of Rosario, flew to Italy on Wednesday from Spain, where he lives, along with fellow Argentine Jorge Paravicini.

"The death of a pope hurts ... but at the same time there's peace and joy, because his life ended during Easter time, for resurrection," said Scaravino.

(Editing by Gavin Jones and Alexandra Hudson)