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

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete December 2, 2025 at 06:19 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

The town of Pesaro, Italy, erected a Christmas ice rink that encased a statue of opera singer Luciano Pavarotti up to its knees, sparking outrage from his widow, Nicoletta Mantovani. The statue, unveiled in April 2024, became part of the rink when it opened on November 29th. Mantovani expressed anger at what she perceived as a disrespectful act towards her late husband's memory. Mayor Andrea Biancani apologized, admitting the council made a mistake, but stated that dismantling the rink or moving the statue was not feasible at this point. Pavarotti, a renowned tenor, had strong ties to Pesaro, where he owned a villa and was an honorary citizen.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Andrea Biancani 30% Nicoletta Mantovani ×250% Pesaro ×450% Luciano Pavarotti ×8100%

Keywords

luciano pavarotti 100% statue 90% ice rink 80% pesaro 70% controversy 60% nicoletta mantovani 50% opera singer 50% mayor 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Pesaro

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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luciano pavarotti statue ice rink pesaro controversy nicoletta mantovani opera singer mayor

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