Italian town freezes Pavarotti statue knee-deep in Christmas ice rink, angering widow

An Italian mayor has apologized to the family of opera star Luciano Pavarotti after installing a statue honoring the late singer inside the Christmas ice rink in the city of Pesaro.

The singer’s widow, Nicoletta Mantonvanni, told local media that she was “angry and upset” by the decision to “ridicule” her late husband.

A temporary ice rink was constructed in the center of the town square, leaving Pavarotti’s statue knee-deep in ice and surrounded by beautiful walls.

In response, Biancini said that he had not intended to offend anyone, and admitted that his council had “made a mistake”.

Before its opening on 29 November, Mayor Andrea Biancani posted a doctored image of the statue of Pavarotti playing ice hockey with the hashtag #DaiUnCinqueAPavarotti, which translates to “Give Pavarotti a high-five”.

“I did not expect that a city would allow such treatment of the memory and image of the man who made Italy great around the world,” Ms. Mantonavani told local outlet Il Resto del Carlino.

He accused the council of making a “poorly executed, absurd decision”.

The life-size bronze statue was officially unveiled in Pesaro in April 2024, with Ms Mantonavani and the couple’s daughter Alice in attendance.

The couple often spent holidays in Pesaro, where Pavarotti had a villa and was an honorary citizen.

Biancini told Il Resto del Carlino, which nicknamed the event “Pavarotti on Ice”, that when the plan was Initially presented with the ice rink, they were assured that Pavarotti’s statue would not be touched and only later learned that the designers had been forced to make changes to their construction.

He said it would not be possible to tear down the rink or move the statue in such a short period of time, but stressed that it “will not happen again”.

Pavarotti was an Italian tenor, and is widely known as one of the most successful opera stars of all time.

His performances in the Three Tenors Concerto were seen around the world, and his rendition of Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s Turandot, which he presented at the 1990 Football World Cup in Italy.

His final performance was at the opening of the Winter Olympics in Turin in February 2006.

He died the following year, aged 71, after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Pavarotti left four daughters from his two marriages. Ms. Mantonwani was his second wife. She remarried in 2020, to financial advisor Alberto Tinarelli.