Pavarotti to receive Italian culture prize

Opera star Luciano Pavarotti is to receive the Premio per l'Esccellenza nella Cultura Italiana (Prize for outstanding achievements in Italian culture), Italy's Ministry of Culture announced in Rome Wednesday. According to the ministry press office, the exact date on which Pavarotti will receive the price has not been decided yet. In a first reaction on Wednesday the tenor said he is touched and grateful for the award: "The prize gives me the chance to continue to celebrate the magic of a life devoted to the arts." This will be the first time the prize has been awarded. In future the tribute, which consists of a medal and a certificate, will be awarded twice a year. Pavarotti, 71, underwent an operation last year for a pancreatic tumour and has since been living a quiet life with his family in his home town of Modena. In August he was briefly hospitalized for a lung infection. dpa kk lk pmc