Opera star Luciano Pavarotti married his ex-secretary, Nicoletta Mantovani, on Saturday at a ceremony in northern Italy, boasting an array of celebrities and ?hosted? by the couple?s baby daughter.

The pair, who tied the knot in the singer?s home town of Modena, have been together since the mid-1990s when Pavarotti left his first wife for Mantovani, who is half his age. ?Alice joyfully invites you to the wedding of daddy Luciano and mummy Nicoletta,? read the invitation from the couple?s 11-month-old daughter.

A host of stars, including Irish rocker Bono and Italian singer Zucchero, turned out for the wedding which was eagerly anticipated by Italian gossip magazines and television chat shows. ?The maestro is in great spirits, Alice is in great spirits and Nicoletta... wow,? said Bono.

Crowds of local residents watched the bride arrive in a limousine decorated with pink flowers. Pink too were the Giorgio Armani dresses worn by the bride and her daughter.

On this occasion, Pavarotti, aged 68 and widely accredited with bringing opera to the masses, left the singing to fellow tenor Andrea Bocelli who performed the Ave Maria during the civil ceremony.

Pavarotti met Mantovani when she was a student. She was seen as the driving force for revitilising his career.

Dylan Martinez