A Chequer-Board of Nights and Days

About 50,000 mourners paid tribute to Luciano Pavarotti at his funeral in his hometown on Saturday and Prime Minister Romano Prodi said Italy was "sad but proud" to salute one of the greatest tenors in opera history.

Rock stars, political leaders and loved ones wept and applauded after seeing a film of Pavarotti and his father Fernando performing the hymn Panis Angelicus, giving the singer a standing ovation that lasted several minutes.

"The death of Pavarotti has made us feel poorer," said Archbishop Benito Cocchi, leading the service at the cathedral in Modena -- the town where Pavarotti was born the son of a baker and died a superstar.

Fourteen pallbearers carried the coffin out of the cathedral to applause and cheers of "bravo" from the crowd as a recording of his most famous aria -- "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot" -- played over loudspeakers.

As Pavarotti sang the song's famous line "All'alba vincero'" -- "At dawn I will be victorious" -- the air force's aerobatics team soared above the church, marking the blue sky with the green, white and red smoke forming the Italian flag.

A worthy goodbye. And wouldn't that have been a sight to see.