Tenor's widow angry as Pesaro mayor urges skaters to 'high-five' Pavarotti statue.The mayor of the Italian city of Pesaro has apologised after a statue of the legendary operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti was "caged in" by an ice rink set up for the festive season.The controversy erupted this week after images circulated online showing the newly-unveiled statue of Pavarotti trapped in the middle of an ice rink installed in Piazzale Lazzarini. The life-size bronze statue of Pavarotti, featuring the maestro in concert attire with outstretched arms and holding a handkerchief in one hand, was inaugurated in April of last year. Reaction When news of the statue's new ice rink surroundings reached Pavarotti's widow, Nicoletta Mantovani, she accused organisers of "ridiculing" her late husband, who died in 2007 and kept a villa in the city, a seaside resort on the Adriatic coast. Mantovani said she was "disappointed, angry and upset", telling newspaper Quotidiano Nazionale: "I'm sorry the city allowed something like this, because it affects Luciano's image and the respect he deserves", adding: "It's just not right". Matters weren't helped when Pesaro mayor Andrea Biancani published a doctored image of Pavarotti skating on the ice rink with a hockey stick, accompanied with a hashtag urging skaters to 'high-five' the statue. Biancani's Facebook post drew a largely negative reaction, with many people accusing the mayor of "bad taste" and "a lack of respect", while others suggested that Pavarotti would have seen the funny side. Apology On Thursday, after the case started making national headlines, the mayor issued an apology to the Pavarotti family, assuming responsibility for the situation and admitting that the city council had made a mistake. There was no intention of disrespect", Biancani told newspaper Il Resto del Carlino, but clarified: "Such a solution was not envisioned initially... I was assured that Pavarotti wouldn't be touched or incorporated into the ice rink floor." The mayor said it would be "physically impossible" to remove the statue, or move the ice rink installation, adding that he found out about the story from the newspapers. With the ice rink due to open this weekend, Biancani said: "At that point, there was no turning back... cancelling everything made no sense." Asked about his call for skaters to give Pavarotti a high five, the mayor told Il Resto del Carlino: "It was an attempt to play down the situation... Pavarotti wasn't a sullen person, he was a person who loved life. But that doesn't mean there was no mistake, and it's right to apologise. I didn't mean to offend anyone." Photo Corriere Adriatico

The mayor of the Italian city of has apologised after a statue of the legendary operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti was "caged in" by an ice rink set up for the festive season. The controversy erupted this week after images circulated online showing the newly-unveiled statue of Pavarotti trapped in the middle of an ice rink installed in Piazzale Lazzarini. The life-size bronze statue of Pavarotti, featuring the maestro in concert attire with outstretched arms and holding a handkerchief in one hand, was inaugurated in April of last year. Reaction When news of the statue's new ice rink surroundings reached Pavarotti's widow, Nicoletta Mantovani, she accused organisers of "ridiculing" her late husband, who died in 2007 and kept a villa in the city, a seaside resort on the Adriatic coast. Mantovani said she was "disappointed, angry and upset", telling newspaper Quotidiano Nazionale: "I'm sorry the city allowed something like this, because it affects Luciano's image and the respect he deserves", adding: "It's just not right". Matters weren't helped when Pesaro mayor Andrea Biancani published a doctored image of Pavarotti skating on the ice rink with a hockey stick, accompanied with a hashtag urging skaters to 'high-five' the statue. Biancani's Facebook post drew a largely negative reaction, with many people accusing the mayor of "bad taste" and "a lack of respect", while others suggested that Pavarotti would have seen the funny side. Apology On Thursday, after the case started making national headlines, the mayor issued an apology to the Pavarotti family, assuming responsibility for the situation and admitting that the city council had made a mistake. There was no intention of disrespect", Biancani told newspaper Il Resto del Carlino, but clarified: "Such a solution was not envisioned initially... I was assured that Pavarotti wouldn't be touched or incorporated into the ice rink floor." The mayor said it would be "physically impossible" to remove the statue, or move the ice rink installation, adding that he found out about the story from the newspapers. With the ice rink due to open this weekend, Biancani said: "At that point, there was no turning back... cancelling everything made no sense." Asked about his call for skaters to give Pavarotti a high five, the mayor told Il Resto del Carlino: "It was an attempt to play down the situation... Pavarotti wasn't a sullen person, he was a person who loved life. But that doesn't mean there was no mistake, and it's right to apologise. I didn't mean to offend anyone." Photo Corriere Adriatico