The widow of the great Luciano Pavarotti had a fanfare arrival in Llangollen on Friday when she paid her first ever visit to the home of its iconic Eisteddfod.
And Nicoletta Mantovani says that she cried when she heard the world-famous Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir serenade her with a Welsh song so special to her late husband when she left Corwen station aboard a vintage steam train bound for Llangollen.
After travelling along the heritage railway line she was greeted on the platform by an Italian choir and watched a Bulgarian dance group go through their stylish paces.
She then walked to a vantage point close to the Eisteddfod field from where she had a clear view of a stunning 60 metre chalk sculpture of the Maestro in full voice which adorns a hillside overlooking the town.
Nicoletta Mantovani, who was married to the singing legend until his death in 2007, journeyed from her home in Italy to celebrate three major milestones of the Maestro’s close association with the Eisteddfod.
Pavarotti was just 19 and a trainee teacher when he came to the Llangollen in 1955 with his father, Fernando, as part of Chorus Rossini, with their choir from their home city of Modena. He returned as a global star in 1995 to perform a sell-out concert. This year would also have been his 90th birthday.
On Saturday, she will be on the world-famous Pavilion stage to present the Pavarotti Trophy, named in honour of her late husband, to the winners of the Choir of the World Competition alongside festival Chair John Gambles and Artistic Director Dave Danford. 
In another coup for the festival, on Sunday evening Nicoletta will hand over the coveted Pendine Trophy to the winner of the International Voice of the Future competition, sharing the presentation with Mario and Gill Kreft, owners of the arts-loving Pendine Park care organisation which is once again sponsoring the award, and another megastar of the opera world, Sir Bryn Terfel.
On Friday Nicoletta made her first visit to Llangollen and its Eisteddfod, setting off on the train from Corwen station.
She was sent on her way to the accompaniment of songs from the award-winning Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir, who appropriately included We’ll Keep a Welcome in the Hillside, which Pavarotti loved.
After a trip through the sun-drenched Dee Valley the train steamed into Llangollen station to be entertained by two international groups competing at the festival – the CRUC choir from Cagliari in Italy and the Folklore Dance Formation from Bulgaria – both in their colourful national costumes.
After a brief walk through the Eisteddfod field – surrounded by photographers and TV crews – Nicoletta walked up the Donkey Hill pathway to a point where she had a commanding view of the Pavarotti sculpture inscribed on the hillside, depicting Pavarotti in his heyday and arranged by his Decca recording company.
Later there was time for Eisteddfod chairman John Gambles to give her a guided tour of the busy festival field where she met a number of volunteers and enjoyed viewing a special exhibition of Pavarotti’s long association with the Eisteddfod prepared by the archive committee.
She also signed the visitors’ book and was shown an original programme from the 1955 Eisteddfod where the Maestro competed with his choir and which sparked his lifelong love affair with the festival.
Nicoletta said: “My arrival was incredible. It was exactly the way Luciano told me how the people of Wales are so warm and friendly. And to hear the Fron Choir perform – especially the welcome song that was a favourite of his – I cried.
“Travelling on the train was also very special, seeing the countryside and when we arrived at Llangollen station I enjoyed the choir and the dancers who greeted us. I knew one of the songs and mimed along to it.
“At the Eisteddfod it was fantastic to meet the volunteers who have a passion for what they do. It is really important and so precious for people from all different countries to come together in the name of culture and music.”
Nicoletta added: “I thought the sculpture on the hillside was really great and it is good that it is there for people to see someone who was so closely connected to the festival.
“I am looking forward very much to making the presentations on Saturday and Sunday at the Eisteddfod, which was a such a great starting point for Luciano’s career.”
