One of Italy's most legendary tenors, attacked and badly injured in Kenya last week, is showing signs of recovery, the BBC said Tuesday.

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Giuseppe di Stefano, 83, had been unconscious and in intensive care after protecting his wife from robbers who assaulted them in their car southeast of Nairobi.

Surgeons operated on di Stefano Wednesday and again on Saturday, and now physicians are planning to take him off sedatives, said Tommaso Castellano, Italy's honorary consul in Kenya.

He said doctors plan to conduct a scan of the singer this week.

His wife required 16 stitches in her head as a result of injuries suffered when the assailants tried to steal her necklace.

The singer, considered one of the greatest tenors of the 20th century, is remembered for performing with opera diva Maria Callas.

He sang at the world's most prestigious opera houses, including Milan's La Scala, New York's Metropolitan, Vienna and Berlin. His last performance was in 1992.