First day: Framing the Life and Career of the Great Maestro
If you arrive in Modena by car or train, you’ll find yourself near the Novi Ark Archaeology Park and its ample underground parking structure near the city center. Here, from 1992 to 2003, Pavarotti & Friends concerts were held, a series of very special recitals that were especially important to Pavarotti as an opportunity to raise funds in his own hometown for needy children all over the world.
Continue on toward the historic center and to sites that still testify to the presence of Pavarotti: the Cathedral of Modena, where Pavarotti’s funeral was held and in which the entire community participated; and the Sala del Vecchio Consiglio in the Palazzo Comunale where a video was shot of a performance by Luciano Pavarotti, his father, Fernando, and the Rossini Chorale.
After a pause for a pleasant lunch in one of the many restaurants in the city center, the excursion continues at the Teatro Comunale, where Pavarotti cultivated his talent and achieved his first successes and which now bears his name. In October 2017, on the tenth anniversary of Pavarotti’s death, a beautiful bronze statue was dedicated in his honor nearby on Largo Goldoni.
To top the day off in the best way possible, attend an opera at the Luciano Pavarotti Theater, so dear to the Maestro that he chose it as the venue for his second wedding. The experience is guaranteed to be unique.
First stop: The Novi Ark Archaeology Park
The Pavarotti & Friends concerts that were held at the Novi Ark Park over the years featured the most important international names in rock, pop, and jazz and are fondly recalled in Modena.
Second stop: The Modena Cathedral and the Maestro’s Funeral
Luciano Pavarotti’s funeral was held on September 8, 2007 in the Modena Cathedral. The photo shows the Frecce Tricolori National Acrobatic Team honoring the great tenor.
Third stop: A Bit of Pavarotti Trivia
A recorded performance of the popular folksong “La Giana” by Luciano Pavarotti, his father, Fernando, and the Rossini Chorale took place in the Sala del Vecchio Consiglio in the Palazzo Comunale.
Fourth stop: The Teatro Comunale and the Pavarotti Statue
The statue of Luciano Pavarotti by sculptor Stefano Pierotti stands to the right of the Teatro Comunale. Pavarotti appears as he famously saluted the public at the end of every concert: his arms spread, his signature white handkerchief in his hand, and a wide smile on his face.
