Archbishop of Modena leads Pavarotti Funeral

The Archbishop of Modena led tributes to one of opera's greatest tenors Luciano Pavarotti at his funeral on Saturday.

Around 50,000 mourners lined the streets of Pavarotti's hometown of Modena, while relatives, rock stars and politicians packed the town's cathedral to pay their last respects to the much-loved singer, reports Reuters.

"The death of Pavarotti has made us feel poorer," said Archbishop Benito Cocchi. He added that Pavarotti's life was "the story of a boy who had the natural gift of an exceptional voice which he cultivated with tenacity and thus became the leading figure among all the tenors of his time".

Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi remembered Pavarotti's dedication to using his musical talents and fame to promote peace.

"He made music an instrument for life and against war. It's true that Luciano Pavarotti wanted to be remembered above all as a great opera singer, but we want to pay homage also to his great humanity," he said.

Mourners inside the cathedral, which also included U2 frontman Bono and film director Franco Zeffirelli, were moved to tears as they watched a film of Pavarotti singing the hymn Panis Angelicus with his father Fernando. A standing ovation followed the film clip lasting several minutes.

Crowds standing outside the cathedral shouted "bravo" as Pavarotti's coffin was carried from the building to the sound of the singer's best known aria "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot" playing through loudspeakers.

The service was punctuated with touching renditions from opera friends Bulgarian soprano Raina Kabaivanska, who opened the service with Ave Maria, and fellow Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who sang Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus.

Pavarotti rose to fame from very modest beginnings in Modena, born the son of a baker father and a mother who worked in a cigar factory. His passion for classical singing was inspired by his father who was an enthusiastic amateur and won his big break while an understudy in a performance of "La Boheme" at Covent Garden in London in 1963.

He died last Thursday after a yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer, age 71.

His second wife and their daughter attended his private burial at Montale Rangone cemetery near his villa outside Modena, where his parents and stillborn son Riccardo also lie.

He is also survived by three adult daughters from his first marriage.