Pesaro Mayor Apologizes After Pavarotti Statue Encased in Christmas Ice Rink, Sparks Family Outcry

The mayor of Pesaro, Italy, has issued an apology to the family of legendary opera singer Luciano Pavarotti after a statue honoring the late star was controversially enveloped within a temporary Christmas ice rink. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from Pavarotti’s widow, Nicoletta Mantovani, who expressed her anger and dismay, labeling the incident as an attempt to “ridicule” her husband’s memory.

The festive ice rink, constructed in the heart of the town’s piazza, left the bronze depiction of Pavarotti knee-deep in ice and confined by transparent walls. Before the rink’s opening on November 29, Mayor Andrea Biancani had even posted a digitally altered image depicting the statue playing ice hockey, accompanied by the hashtag #DaiUnCinqueAPavarotti, which translates to “Give a high-five to Pavarotti.”

Ms. Mantovani conveyed her profound disappointment, stating, “I didn’t expect a town would allow this treatment of the memory and the image of a person who made Italy great around the world.” She further characterized the council’s decision as a “poorly executed, absurd decision.” In response to the backlash, Mayor Biancani admitted that the council had “made a mistake” and assured that no offense was intended.

The life-size statue, a tribute to the globally renowned tenor, was officially unveiled in Pesaro in April 2024, an event attended by Ms. Mantovani and the couple’s daughter, Alice. Pavarotti held a deep connection to Pesaro, frequently vacationing there, owning a villa, and having been granted honorary citizenship.

Mayor Biancani explained that initial plans for the ice rink had guaranteed the statue would remain untouched. Millenium TV has learned that he was later informed that designers were compelled to alter the construction. While acknowledging that dismantling the rink or relocating the statue at this late stage is not feasible, the mayor vowed that such an incident “would not happen again.”

Luciano Pavarotti, an Italian tenor, is widely regarded as one of the most successful opera stars of all time. His iconic performances in the Three Tenors concerts captured global audiences, and his rendition of Nessun Dorma, from Puccini’s Turandot at the 1990 football World Cup in Italy, remains legendary. His final public appearance was at the opening of the Winter Olympics in Turin in February 2006. Pavarotti passed away the following year at the age of 71 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, leaving behind four daughters. Nicoletta Mantovani, his second wife, later remarried financial advisor Alberto Tinarelli in 2020.