Overview

• On August 3, Massimiliano Pani formally applied to the Comune di Forte dei Marmi to change his surname to Pani Mazzini
• He frames the name change as more than a bureaucratic formality, describing it as a personal tribute to his mother’s impact on his life
• The municipal anagrafe office must approve the request under Italian regulations that govern family naming conventions
• Pani began his career at 16 by contributing two tracks to Mina’s 1979 album Attila and has since arranged and composed for icons like Adriano Celentano, Fabrizio De André and jazz artists such as Toots Thielemans
• The move underscores the interplay between individual identity and Italy’s cultural traditions around surnames