Before it was opened on 29 November, Mayor Andrea Biancani posted a doctored image of Pavarotti’s statue playing ice hockey with the hashtag #DaiUnCinqueAPavarotti, which translates to “Give a high-five to Pavarotti”.
“I didn’t expect a town would allow this treatment of the memory and the image of a person who made Italy great around the world,” Ms Mantovani told local outlet Il Resto del Carlino.
She accused the council of making a “poorly executed, absurd decision”.
The life-size bronze statue was officially unveiled in Pesaro in April 2024, with Ms Mantovani and the couple’s daughter, Alice, in attendance.
The couple often holidayed in Pesaro, where Pavarotti had a villa and was an honorary citizen.
