Pavarotti on Ice: Italian mayor apologises after Christmas rink engulfs tenor’s statue

The unusual sight of Pavarotti on Ice has prompted a formal apology from the mayor of Pesaro after the Pavarotti statue controversy left the late tenor’s likeness encased in a festive skating rink. The life-size bronze figure, unveiled earlier this year in the Adriatic town, ended up knee-deep in ice and boxed in by clear panels when the rink opened for Christmas.

Nicoletta Mantovani, Pavarotti’s widow, said she was “angry and upset” by what she viewed as a decision that mocked her husband’s legacy. Speaking to Italian media, she said she had not expected the town “to allow this treatment of the memory and the image of a person who made Italy great around the world”.

The temporary rink was built around the statue in Pesaro’s central piazza. Days before its opening, Mayor Andrea Biancani posted a digitally altered image depicting Pavarotti playing ice hockey, accompanied by the hashtag #DaiUnCinqueAPavarotti, meaning “Give Pavarotti a high-five”. The photograph quickly circulated online, drawing criticism and confusion among residents and fans.

Biancani acknowledged the backlash and confirmed that his council had “made a mistake”, adding that he had been assured the statue would not be touched. He told reporters that the altered plans only came to light after construction had begun and that removing the rink or relocating the statue was now impossible. The mayor insisted that “it will not happen again”.

Mantovani described the decision as “poorly executed” and said it undermined a figure whose music continues to reach global audiences. Pavarotti’s performance of Nessun Dorma at the 1990 World Cup remains one of the most recognisable operatic moments of the twentieth century. For readers interested in the cultural significance of the aria, further information is available through the Royal Opera House, which has long documented Puccini’s influence on modern performance.

The statue, created to honour Pavarotti’s deep ties to Pesaro, was unveiled in April with Mantovani and the couple’s daughter, Alice, in attendance. The tenor spent many summers in the town, where he owned a villa and was named an honorary citizen. His wider career included the celebrated Three Tenors concerts, a residency that brought opera to television audiences across continents, and a final performance at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin before his death the following year.

Pavarotti left four daughters from his two marriages, and Mantovani, his second wife, remarried in 2020. Despite the mayor’s apology, the episode has reignited debate about how public monuments to cultural figures should be treated during festive installations and civic events.

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