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Pavarotti's family settles dispute over estate

01.07.2008 15:01 Arts - Source: cbc.ca

Luciano Pavarotti's widow and his three adult daughters have reached a deal over his inheritance that a lawyer says divides the estate "fairly."

The daughters from the great tenor's first marriage were reported to be at odds with his second wife, Nicoletta Mantovani, after his death last September of pancreatic cancer.

Nicoletta Mantovani, left, with late tenor Luciano Pavarotti, after their wedding in 2003. Mantovani's lawyer says she and Pavarotti's daughters have settled a dispute over his estate. (Marco Vasini/Associated Press)

At issue was Pavarotti's estate, including a trust that held his American properties that was reportedly awarded to Mantovani in a will written just six weeks before his death.

The estate was estimated at up to $250 million, but Pavarotti, who faded quickly after the cancer diagnosis ended his singing career, is said to have had debts of up to $24 million.

Pavarotti was married 34 years to his first wife, Adua, and had three daughters before leaving her for Mantovani.

In an interview Monday with newspaper Il Resto del Carlino, Anna Maria Bernini, Mantovani's lawyer, said, "The property was shared fairly.

"Nicoletta and the three daughters are friends," she said. "It was this affection that made it possible to reach the best conclusion to the negotiations on the estate."

Mantovani, who is 34 years younger than Pavarotti, has a five-year-old daughter with the Italian opera star.

The lawyer did not reveal any terms of the division of the estate.

It is known that Pavarotti owned three New York apartments, an estate and other properties in Italy, an apartment in Monte Carlo and that his collections include a painting by Henri Matisse.

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Pavarotti's fortune diminished by huge debt, reports say World-renowned Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti dies at 71

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