Rome —

Italian officials are on thin ice after a skating rink was built around a bronze statue of Luciano Pavarotti and passersby were encouraged to “high-five” the famous tenor.

Located in the northern Italian city of Pesaro, the monument features Pavarotti in a tailcoat, holding his signature handkerchief in hand.

Nicoletta Mantovani, the last wife of Pavarotti – who died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 71 in 2007 – complained that the positioning of the ice rink around the life-size homage to her late husband was disrespectful.

“I’m sorry the city allowed something like this, because it affects Luciano’s image and the respect he deserves,” she told the newspaper Il Resto del Carlino last week. “It’s just not right.”

Pesaro’s mayor, Andrea Biancani, came under fire after post

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