The construction of the Ice Skating Arena around the Pavarotti Statue has caused criticism

JAKARTA - Italian authorities are in a difficult position, after an ice skating rink built around a bronze statue of famous tenor singer Luciano Pavarotti has drawn criticism.

Located in the city of Pesaro, northern Italy, the monument features Pavarotti wearing a tail coat, holding his signature handkerchief in his hand.

Nicoletta Mantovani, Pavarotti's last wife - who died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 71 in 2007 - criticised the placement of an ice-skating rink around a life-size statue of her late husband as disrespectful.

"I regret that the city allowed this kind of thing, because it affects Luciano's image and the respect he deserves," he told the newspaper Il Resto del Carlino, as quoted by CNN (1/1).

"This is not true," he said.

Meanwhile, Pesaro Mayor Andrea Biancani, drew criticism after uploading an edited image of the famous tenor playing ice skating, complete with a hockey stick, on Facebook on November 23.

In the post, he suggested that ice skaters should #daiUnCinqueAPavarotti" or "clap" with the statue.

"His smile, his humor, his ability to see the bright side of things."

"Never lose that," he wrote in the post after Mantovani's criticism.

Biancani explained that the city decided to inaugurate the ice skating arena to start the holiday season as planned, despite the less than positive tone.

The mayor's post drew some critical comments, with concerns about safety, if people tried to clap with the statue, as well as concerns about bad taste.

Biancani has officially apologized to Mantovani, while a spokesperson for the town hall told CNN, it was not their intention to offend the singer's family or his legacy.

The spokesperson said the installers mistakenly built the ice skating rink around the statue, not next to it.

"There was no intention to disrespect," the spokesperson told CNN on behalf of the mayor, adding that Pavarotti's presence embedded in the ice was not part of the initial plan for the Christmas ice skating rink.

"I was assured that Pavarotti would not be touched or put on the floor of the ice skating arena," he told local media.

Although officials say it's unlikely to dismantle the ice-skating arena or move the statue at this stage, they have built a short wall around it, separating it from the rest of the arena.

However, the ice skaters can still touch the monument if they pass near the edge of the wall.

The statue of Pavarotti was unveiled in April 2024 in honor of the late singer and his wife who had a holiday home on the nearby Adriatic Coast.

Pavarotti is considered one of the greatest tenors of all time and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

His collaboration with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras as The Three Tenors produced the best-selling classical album in history.

It is known that Pavarotti's last public appearance was during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.