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Pavarotti’s Widow Condemns Festive Ice Rink Encircling His Statue in Pesaro

11:31 PM, 12/01/2025
Pavarotti’s Widow Condemns Festive Ice Rink Encircling His Statue in Pesaro

Nicoletta Mantovani, Pavarotti's widow, criticised a Christmas ice rink placed around the tenor's bronze statue in Pesaro, calling the installation 'ridiculing' and poorly planned. The mayor's social-media suggestion that skaters could 'high five' the statue provoked mixed reactions and safety concerns from residents. The mayor apologised, saying there was no intention to offend and that it was too late to remove the rink before the festive opening.

Nicoletta Mantovani, widow of the late tenor Luciano Pavarotti, has criticised a seasonal ice rink erected around the life-size bronze statue of her husband in Pesaro, calling the installation disrespectful and poorly judged.

Speaking from London, Ms Mantovani said she was 'angry and upset' to discover the monument, unveiled last April, had been enclosed by the rink for the festive season. She added that she was not informed about the plan and that the photographs she had seen made the arrangement look thoughtless. 'It's an absurd decision by the council,' she said. 'On the one hand they say they want to honour Pavarotti, on the other they are ridiculing him. It's not right.'

Mayor's post sparks further criticism

The controversy deepened after Pesaro's mayor, Andrea Biancani, posted a digitally altered image of the statue appearing to skate with a hockey stick and suggested on social media that skaters could 'high five' the bronze figure. The comment prompted a mixed reaction: some residents found it light-hearted, while others saw it as inappropriate.

'Luciano had a great sense of humour and zest for life. He would have been happy to know that his statue would be surrounded by laughing children, rather than stuck in a dusty museum,' a local resident said in defence of the display.

Safety and respect concerns

Practical worries were also raised: several locals pointed out that the statue's presence within the rink could pose a hazard if skaters collided with it. 'What happens if a child bashes into it – who will pay the medical bills?' one resident asked on social media.

Faced with criticism, Mayor Biancani apologised, saying there had been no intention to disrespect Pavarotti and that the council had not planned for the monument to be incorporated into the skating surface. He explained that by the time the issue was noticed the rink was due to open for the Christmas period, and dismantling it was not considered feasible. The mayor said his offhand high-five remark was meant to defuse the situation and not to offend.

Luciano Pavarotti made his operatic debut in 1961 and rose to worldwide fame as both a soloist and as a member of the Three Tenors alongside Plácido Domingo and José Carreras. He remained a beloved cultural figure until his death in 2007.

The episode in Pesaro highlights the tensions that can arise when seasonal attractions intersect with public memorials: well-intentioned festive planning can clash with expectations of dignity and safety surrounding monuments to prominent figures.

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Pavarotti’s Widow Condemns Festive Ice Rink Encircling His Statue in Pesaro - CRBC News