A mayor in Italy has issued an apology after a bronze statue honoring Luciano Pavarotti, the celebrated tenor, ended up encased in the middle of a temporary Christmas ice rink, with skaters encouraged to "give [him] a high-five"—a move that his wodow says "ridiculed" the opera legend. The Guardian reports that the statue, unveiled last year in the city of Pesaro, was meant to celebrate Pavarotti's legacy, as he had a home in Pesaro and was an honorary citizen. However, the holiday ice rink was constructed around it, leaving the figure—which has its arms outstretched—stuck up to its knees in ice.
Nicoletta Mantovani, Pavarotti's widow, expressed her disappointment and anger after seeing images of the statue's predicament circulate online. "It affects Luciano's image and the respect he deserves. It's not right," she told a local news outlet. Adding to the controversy, Pesaro's mayor, Andrea Biancini, initially posted a photo of the statue with a hashtag urging skaters to "give Pavarotti a high-five." He later admitted the city "made a mistake" and apologized to Pavarotti's family, insisting the move was not meant to be disrespectful.
Biancini also said he'd been told the statue wouldn't be incorporated into the rink's floor and that it now can't be removed without risking damage. The local paper described the statue's new setting as looking like "a stage character who fell into the wrong place and now finds himself directing the traffic of skaters." Locals are torn on the statue, per the Independent. "Many residents are outraged by this, while others ... think it's not a serious matter, arguing that there are bigger problems in life," one Pesaro resident tells the outlet.
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